Millersville at Fall Creek Valley - City of Indianapolis and …€¦ · · 2016-02-19Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Village and Corridor Plan ... study area. It is useful for

Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Village and Corridor Plan

City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development Division of Planning Re-Adopted November 4, 2015 2015-CPS-R-002

City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development Division of Planning Re-Adopted November 4, 2015 2015-CPS-R-002

City of Indianapolis - Marion County | 1

Introduction This document is a plan for maintaining and enhancing the stability, livability and

sustainability of the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley community.

This plan is a guide for anyone making a decision about the use of a property within the

study area. It is useful for property owners, developers, neighbors and neighborhood

organizations, City staff and City boards and commissions. This plan will be used to

evaluate rezoning applications, to project future population and employment

concentrations, and prioritize capital improvements.

This plan is also a comprehensive plan segment. A comprehensive plan is required by

state statute (Indiana Code 36-7-4-501 through 512) as a basis for zoning and must

include objectives and policies for future land use development and development of

public ways, places, land, structures and utilities. A comprehensive plan segment is one

part of the overall comprehensive plan for the county. The Comprehensive Plan for

Indianapolis/Marion County is made up of over 80 segments.

Two types of comprehensive plan segments are combined in this plan:

• a village plan focused on the retail area centered on the intersection of Emerson

Way and 56th Street and the historic town of Millersville, and

• a corridor plan focused on Fall Creek and its adjacent neighborhoods.

Previous Plan

The previous plan of record for the study area of this plan was Indianapolis Insight: the

Comprehensive Plan for Marion County, Indiana. This plan was composed of two

components: a Community Values Component that contains planning objectives for the

entire county and a Land Use Component that contains information about

recommended land uses and environmentally sensitive areas on a township by township

basis. The Millersville area falls under the Land Use Components for Washington Township

and Lawrence Township.

Community Values Component

The Community Values Component of Indianapolis Insight contains value statements,

planning principles, goals and 280-plus recommendations for development and


redevelopment in Marion County. Copies of the Community Values Component are

available from the Indianapolis Division of Planning and on the City’s website. Although

modified by this plan, the Community Values Component remains a source for general

development guidelines for the study area.

Land Use Component

The Land Use Component of Indianapolis Insight is comprised of three major parts: a

map of environmentally sensitive areas, a map of recommended land uses and text that

provides more insight into a number of Critical Areas that were designated around the

county. The land use portions of this plan replace the land use recommendations of

Indianapolis Insight for the study area.

Information on how this plan relates to other comprehensive plan segments can be

found in Appendix A.

Planning Process

In 2009 a group of concerned neighbors and community leaders gathered to seek

solutions about disinvestment in their local retail area. This led to the formation of the

Millersville at Fall Creek Valley community organization, which unites the common

interests of 27 neighborhoods plus schools, churches, businesses and institutions. The

organization is committed to:

• Promoting its history, schools, and culture;

• Protecting its waters, parks, and greenways;

• Preserving its diverse neighborhoods;

• Utilizing community resources to safely connect homes, schools, shops, and trails,

• Creating a desirable and unique place to live, learn, work, play, and stay.

In early 2010 the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley organization came together with the

Indianapolis Division of Planning to start work on a plan for the area.

A series of interviews, focus group meetings and general meetings were held in spring

and summer of 2010 with residents, businesspeople and representatives of institutions in

the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area, as well as with staff persons from various City

departments. The purpose of these interactions was to gather information about the


area’s assets and resources, and to hear and understand the participants’ issues,

concerns and visions for the area.

The input from the interviews, focus groups and general meetings was organized into four

general subject areas. Work Groups were established around each topic: Fall Creek,

Connectivity, Neighborhoods and the Village of Millersville. Each Work Group met four to

nine times starting in October 2010 and running through October 2011. Each Work Group

was expected to study its topic, set goals and actions, prioritize those goals and actions,

and then issue a report.

The four Work Group reports were combined with other materials to form this document.

A meeting was held in December 2011 to review the final draft of the plan and prioritize

the plan recommendations. A series of three meetings were held in April and May of

2012 to wrap up loose ends and provide the public with a final chance to review the

document prior to its submission for approval by the Metropolitan Development

Commission.



History Various strands of Indianapolis history come together in the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley

community. Seth Bacon and Peter Negley built a sawmill on Fall Creek at what is now

Millersville in 1824. The village itself dates from 1838. The town’s heyday seems to have

been the 1840s through 1860s. During this time a grist mill and distillery were operated in

the town by William Winpenny and Jacob Spahr. Just a handful of historic structures,

including the Winpenny home and a general store, remain.

The idea of a parkway along Fall Creek originated in the early days of park planning in

Indianapolis. In 1909 George Kessler proposed acquiring land along Fall Creek from the

White River upstream to 38th Street and beyond as the city grew. By 1911 the City had

acquired the entire north bank of the creek from 23rd Street upstream beyond the City

limits at 38th Street. The parkway was built with open spaces and tree-lined, curvilinear

roadways.

In 1909 a ravine-cut wooded parcel overlooking Fall Creek was offered to the City by

William Watson Woollen. Although the parcel was well outside City limits, the City

accepted Woollen’s offer. The donation of Woollens Garden was an impetus to extend

the parkway another six miles. Woollens Garden was dedicated as a state nature

preserve in 1987 as an excellent example of an old, second-growth mesic upland forest

community dominated by red oak, sugar maple, white oak, shagbark hickory and ash.

Upon completion of a park master plan in 1988 a paved recreation trail was constructed

along Fall Creek from Binford Boulevard/Allisonville Road to 56th Street. In 2007 an

extension to the fall Creek Trail was made as far upstream as Woollens Garden.

In the early part of the 20th century the area around Millersville was known for its diary

farms. Little, if any, commercial development took place in the area until after Emerson

Way was built in 1962. The new Emerson Way bridge supplanted the historic Millersville

Road bridge and opened the area to easier travel from the south.

Residential development in the area was also very limited until the post-World War Two

building boom of the 1950s and 1960s. Notable exceptions to this were Laurel Hall and

Brendonwood.


Laurel Hall was the country estate home of banker Stoughton Fletcher and his wife May.

It was completed in 1916 on a bluff overlooking Fall Creek and the remains of Millersville.

Laurel Hall sat on an estate of nearly 1500 acres that included most of the area between

46th and 56th streets west of Arlington Avenue and southeast of Fall Creek. Today the

38,000 square-feet mansion is an office and event center. Fletcher’s estate was divided

and developed into eleven residential communities and Cathedral High School.

Brendonwood was established by developer Charles S. Lewis in 1917. Lewis retained

George Kessler to plan and design Brendonwood as a place for fine country living. One

hundred ten lots were laid out on 250 acres between 56th Street and Fall Creek. Kessler’s

design worked with the contours of the ravine-cut stream bluff location and took

advantage of the wooded hillsides. An additional 100 acres were reserved as common

space for roadways, walking and bridle paths, a golf course and other park and

recreation amenities.

The post-War period was a time of explosive growth within the study area. With a few

notable exceptions, by the mid1960s most of the developable land in the study area had

been developed. The 1970s and 80s saw the development of the Windridge

condominium community and the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s was the time of development

for the area between Fall Creek Parkway and Fall Creek Road.

Additional information on the history of the study area can be found in Appendix B.


Plan Recommendations for Fall Creek Fall Creek’s source is found south of Middletown in Henry County, Indiana. It flows

southwestwardly for 75 miles and empties into White River in downtown Indianapolis,

draining 315 square miles. Fall Creek is a major source of Indianapolis’s drinking water.

Through the study area Fall Creek is lined along its northern bank by Fall Creek Parkway

and the Fall Creek Greenway Trail. The trail is the third most popular trail in the

Indianapolis Greenways system after the Monon Rail-Trail and the Indianapolis Water

Company Canal.

Fall Creek Trail: Number of Users by Month

At Alsuda Drive High Low Average

2007 6609 (Aug) 596(Jan) 3778

2008 8152 (Aug) 409 (Jan) 3368

2009 8195 (Aug) 1181 (Jan) 4558

2010 6072 (July) 592 (Feb) 3785

At Bosart Avenue High Low Average

2007 6545 (June) 829 (Feb) 3876

2008 7979 (Sept) 602 (Feb) 3357

2009 7867 (Aug) 1742 (Feb) 4653

2010 6251 (June) 709 (Feb) 3706

Trail user counts are highly weather dependent and range from 400 a month in harsh winter weather to over 8000 a month in pleasant summer weather. Water Quality

A watershed management plan for lower Fall Creek, prepared for the Marion County Soil

& Water Conservation District and the Lower Fall Creek Watershed Alliance, examines

water quality issues in the watershed and identifies sustainable, local solutions.

The study area of the watershed plan was the portion of the Fall Creek watershed

downstream of the Geist dam. The Indian Creek, Mud Creek and Devon Creek

watersheds were included in the study because these streams enter Fall Creek

downstream of the dam. The watershed drains 57,800 acres and spreads over four

counties. The entire study area for the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Village and Corridor

Plan lies within the study area for the watershed plan.


The watershed plan was organized by type of pollutant: sediment, nutrients and

pathogens. The watershed plan also identified Critical Areas, which are locations or

activities that particularly contribute to, or are particularly sensitive to, the degradation of

water quality in Fall Creek. The following sections rely heavily on the watershed plan.

Sediment Sediment refers to soil particles washed or blown into a stream. Erosion is a natural

phenomenon. A healthy stream will balance water flow, sediment loads and overall

shape of the stream and energy of the water flow. Excess erosion caused by human

disturbances can increase sedimentation to an unhealthy level. Sediment reduces the

amount of sunlight that reaches aquatic plants, which in turn reduces the availability of

fish cover and food. Sediment also impacts fish by covering spawning areas. It affects

other aquatic wildlife such as mussels, turtles, frogs and insects. Sediment tends to

increase drinking water treatment costs, and reduces water clarity and aesthetic value.

The watershed plan identified four Critical Areas for sediment. Two of these critical areas

are pertinent to the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area:

• Lack of adequate erosion and sediment control during construction

• Streambank erosion

Public input gathered for this plan also identified issues related to sediment:

• Streambank erosion in general and specifically at Woollens Garden and

Windridge Condominiums

• Deposition of sediment forming a sandbar at the Emerson Way bridge

Streambank erosion threatens to undermine portions of Millersville Road west of Emerson

Way and breach the embankment separating the stream and Mallard Lake, which lies

on the cutbank side of a Fall Creek meander curve. Perhaps the most visually dramatic

example of streambank erosion is the cutbank at Windridge Condominiums. The bank is

located on the outside of Fall Creek’s curve around the original site of Millersville and is 25

feet high. An increasing number and intensity of high water events accelerates the

natural erosion along such curves.

Streambanks in the area are also prone to erosion from seepage. Seepage is a product

of the movement of groundwater through the earth. High water in streams effectively

dams the normal seepage of groundwater and thus raises the water pressure in the river


bank. When the high stream water recedes, the pent-up groundwater seeps through

the wall of the cutbank with greater energy and creates additional erosion.

Goals Policies, programs and projects

Actions

• Reduce sediment loads in Fall Creek and its tributaries.

Stabilize streambanks within the watershed with native vegetation; removing invasive species if present

• Prioritize sites for invasive, exotic vegetation removal and revegetation with native plants.

• Conduct volunteer events to remove invasive, exotic vegetation and replant native species*

Develop Lake Management Plans for all major lakes within the study area: Lake Charlevoix, Lake Kesslerwood East, Lake Kesslerwood West, and Mallard Lake.

• Promote the value of a Lake Management Plan to the pertinent HOAs.

• Fund and write Lake Management Plan

• Adopt Lake Management Plan by HOA

Amend City zoning codes and development procedures to protect highly erodible soils.

• Research, gather public and expert input and write draft ordinances

• Present to Metropolitan Development commission and City-County Council for adoption

Amend City zoning codes to require stream protection corridors. Such corridors would feature woody vegetation and minimal development.

• Research, gather public and expert input and write draft ordinances

• Present to Metropolitan Development commission and City-County Council for adoption

Continue to enforce erosion control codes for new development.

• Publicize the need for residents to report erosion from construction sites through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC)

• Add to the number of inspectors trained in erosion control.

Continue to promote low impact development practices.

• Build support of decision-makers, developers and contractors.

• Advocate for low impact development practices in new development or redevelopment. **

Establish signage program to • Establish criteria


identify active construction sites or developments that are in compliance with IDEM’s Rule 5 program.

• Build support among decision-makers and contractors

• Develop signs, inspection forms, tracking

• Train inspectors • Inspect sites, install yard signs

* Volunteer events require significant advance planning of both the project and the event and may include site design, approvals and permits, professional supervision and assistance, and donations of funds, materials and supplies. ** The City’s Green Supplemental Document program offers expedited permitting for projects that include green infrastructure.

Nutrients

Nutrient pollution, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, can lead to algae blooms,

which reduce plant growth and can lead to fish kills by reducing the amount of oxygen

available in the water. Nutrient pollution can also increase drinking water treatment

costs. Algae blooms in Geist Reservoir in 2007 resulted in recreation use restrictions. The

two main causes of nutrient pollution that are pertinent to the Millersville area are fertilizer

application and inadequately functioning septic systems.

Both residential and commercial lawn care practices are substantial sources of nutrient

pollution. Home-owners who are not trained in chemical application are often prone to

over-apply or mis-apply lawn care products.

The watershed management plan identified two Critical Areas for nutrients:

• Golf courses

• Residential lakes over 50 acres (this includes Lake Kesslerwood east and west)

The watershed management plan chose to focus on golf courses because, although

their turf care is done by professionals, there is still the potential for the water running off

golf course to be laced with excess nutrients and chemicals. Also golf courses are highly

visible and are visited by many stakeholders, so they serve as good locations for

demonstration projects. One golf course exists in the study area, Brendonwood Country

Club, and another lies adjacent, Hillcrest Golf Club.

Lakes larger than 50 acres were selected in the watershed management plan because

they are operated by homeowner associations that can provide the structure needed to


implement water quality improvement. Public input to this plan recommended

extending that focus to include Lake Charlevoix and Mallard Lake.


Actions

• Reduce excess nutrients in Fall Creek and its tributaries.

Encourage golf courses along Fall Creek and owners of major lakes to participate in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, Groundwater Guardian Green Sites, National Wildlife Federation, or a similar conservation program.

• Conduct meetings with target golf course managers, HOAs and neighborhood associations

• Assist with program requirements and annual reporting if needed

Promote proper use of lawn care products.

• Work with neighborhood associations and homeowners associations to provide their members with proper lawn care information in association newsletters and meeting presentations.

Pathogens

Pathogens are usually measured in terms of E. coli and fecal coliform, both associated

with the intestinal track of warm blooded animals. Where bacteria concentrations are

high there is an increased likelihood that disease-causing organisms are present.

Inadequately functioning septic systems, improper connections to storm sewers,

waterfowl, and urban storm water are significant sources of pathogens in the Millersville

portion of Fall Creek

Failing and inadequately functioning septic systems are common sources of bacteria in

water bodies. Septic systems can be a safe and effective method for treating

wastewater if they are sized, sited, and maintained property. However, they often fall

into disrepair. These problems are intensified when those systems are located in a flood-

prone area.

The City of Indianapolis has embarked on the Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP) that

is building sanitary sewers and removing homes from septic systems. Over 300 homes in

the Millersville area have been connected to the sanitary sewer system, but there are

many left to convert. With the City’s sale of the storm water utility, STEP is now a program

of Citizens Energy Group.


Waterfowl have been identified as a significant source of E. coli in many central Indiana

watersheds. Within the Fall Creek watershed, many existing commercial and residential

developments within the watershed have ponds with unrestricted access for Canada

geese.


Actions

• Reduce pathogens in Fall Creek and its tributaries.

Establish or enhance shoreline and streambank riparian buffers to naturally control the number of waterfowl

• Identify and prioritize target areas

• Design, fund and construct native shoreline/streambank vegetation

• Install educational signage

Support the continuation of the Septic Tank Elimination Program (STEP) especially within wellfield protection areas and floodplains

• Identify septic systems in wellfield protection areas and flood-prone areas

• Target these areas for connection to sewers

• Distribute literature to HOA • Prepare grants to assist

homeowners with connection fees

Drainage

Drainage

Issues surrounding the poor drainage of storm water and snowmelt are common in flat,

clay-soil Marion County. The responsibility for the 10,000-plus miles of drainage facilities in

Marion County is roughly split 60/40 between private landowners and public entities. The

maintenance of private drainage structures is the responsibility of the private owner; the

City has no authority to correct private drainage problems

Early in the planning process, poor drainage was reported at the intersection of Binford

Boulevard and Kessler Boulevard, on the north side of 56th Street west of Binford

Boulevard and along both sides of Emerson Way in the block south of 56th Street. A

review of information from the Mayor’s Action Center shows a modest number of

drainage complaints scattered across the study area. These complaints range widely,

but typically concern standing water and clogged drainage inlets and ditches.


The system that the City uses to manage drainage issues begins when problems are

reported to the Mayor’s Action Center. Complaints are logged in and then inspected. If

the problem affects a public drainage structure and can be addressed through normal

maintenance practices, it is assigned to a contractor to fix. In some areas with frequent

and widespread drainage problems an engineering solution is required. These areas are

evaluated for their severity and may become part of the Marion County Storm Water

Master Plan.

For problems with private drainage facilities, the Marion County Soil and Water

Conservation District provides property owners with technical assistance. Solutions to

problems with private drainage facilities may require cooperation among neighbors.

Flooding

Flooding is a naturally occurring process, but modification of land forms, vegetation and

land cover can either intensify or diffuse the water runoff that leads to flooding. Growing

urbanization within the 300 square miles of the Fall Creek watershed impacts the flooding

and erosion problems in the Millersville area.

In the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley study area three streams drain a sufficient area to be

a concern for flooding: Fall Creek, Devon Creek and Blue Creek.

The “floodway” can be thought of as the area where water flows during a flood. The

“floodplain” is the area adjacent to the river or creek that the flood waters cover. The

floodplain includes the floodway, and usually extends further away from the water body

than the floodway.

From I-465 to Mallard Lake, Fall Creek generally hugs the steep slopes along its southern

edge and these slopes contain both the floodway and floodplain and keep flood

damage to structures to a minimum.

The situation is different along the north side of Fall Creek. Although some sections of the

street are periodically inundated, Fall Creek Parkway is raised and generally serves to

contain flowing flood waters. A notable exception to this generalization is the area

between 56th Street and Emerson Way where the floodway extends across the road to

the pond and parking lot at the Windridge Shops.


The floodplain extends a significant distance beyond Fall Creek Parkway upstream of the

Emerson Way bridge and downstream on either side of 46th Street. Vulnerable

communities include Lake Charlevoix, The Overlook at Fall Creek, Lake Kesslerwood,

Boardwalk at Lake Kesslerwood, the retail area east of Emerson Way at Millersville, The

Lodge Apartments and Harbour Pointe Apartments. On the south side of Fall Creek,

Brendonwood Golf Course and Mallard Lake are vulnerable to large floods.

The Flood Control Districts Zoning Ordinance requires structures to have their lowest

occupied areas elevated two feet above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Also, a 10’

perimeter area around the structures is required to be above the BFE.

Flooding frequently exacerbates bank erosion. This is particularly a concern at Windridge

Condominiums where a high cut bank has required expensive erosion control measures

in recent years.

Blue Creek flows south out of the Avalon Hills and Devonshire neighborhoods into the

pond at Lake Charlevoix and then into Fall Creek. Its floodplain is quite narrow.

Deposition of silt into Lake Charlevoix is more of a concern with this stream, a situation

that could be examined in a Lake Management Plan.

Devon Creek meanders in and out of the study area along 46th Street. Devon Creek has

a narrow floodplain and a number of high steep banks that are vulnerable to erosion.

Infiltration

Many drainage, flooding and erosion problems could be partially alleviated by reducing

the amount of water flowing into drainage facilities. Increasing the infiltration of

rainwater and snowmelt may be accomplished through a variety of means such as

limiting or reducing the amount of impervious surface, planting trees, maintaining healthy

absorbent soil, and installing devices such as raingardens and bioswales.


Actions

• Resolution of drainage issues involving public drainage facilities.

Continued action by the City and the drainage utility to promptly address maintenance issues.

• Publicize the need for residents to report drainage issues through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC)


Continued action by the City and the drainage utility to implement the Marion County Storm Water Master Plan.

• Resolution of drainage issues involving private drainage facilities.

Continued action by the Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District to provide education and technical assistance to private property owners.*

• Work with neighborhood associations and homeowners associations to promote the services of the MCSWCD and to provide their members with proper drainage facility maintenance information in association newsletters and meeting presentations.

• Reduced flooding and erosion on Fall Creek and Devon Creek

Retrofit of sustainable water management practices into existing development.

• Educate property owners about the hazards connected with erosion, flooding and poor drainage.

• Promote and permit green infrastructure such as rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavement, cisterns, rainbarrels, filter strips and inlet/outlet controls.**

Incorporation of sustainable water management into redevelopment projects. Incorporation of sustainable water management into beautification projects.

* The MCSWCD provides, through its conservation partners, no-cost conservation technical assistance on conservation planning, erosion and sediment control, drainage and water management, streamside stabilization, streamside buffers, pond management, wetland development, tree and shrub planting, backyard conservation, wildlife habitat, conservation education, and site development advice. ** The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability offers information on sustainable drainage projects for homeowners such as the Rain Garden program. For contractors the Green Supplemental Document program offers expedited permitting for projects that include green infrastructure.

Greenway

Trail access and extension

Convenient access points and desirable destinations are among the most important

factors drawing users to trails.

The Fall Creek Greenway trail runs five miles through the study area. Within this segment,

the trail has 12 access points. Eleven of these access points provide parking. Despite the

number of access points, the trail is not well tied into the surrounding street system.

A notable destination for trail users lies just beyond the reach of the Fall Creek trail. Only

two-thirds of a mile beyond the eastern end of the trail is Fort Harrison State Park and its

paved trail. Linking the state park to the Fall Creek trail is a recommendation of the


Indianapolis Greenways Master Plan and the Fall Creek, Woollens Garden and Skiles Test

Park Master Plan.


Actions

• Increased access to the Fall Creek Greenway Trail

Connect the sidewalks on the 46th Street, Emerson Way and 56th Street bridges to the Fall Creek Greenway Trail.

• Design, fund and construct connections.

Provide access points (trail connection, no parking) at Delmar Road and Drexel Avenue.*

• Design, fund and construct access points.

• Extension of the Fall Creek Greenway Trail

Extend the Fall Creek Greenway Trail upstream to connect with the paved trail within Fort Harrison State Park.

• Design, fund and construct trail extension.

• Negotiate with intervening property owners to provide for the best trail alignment.

• Work with the City of Lawrence and the State Park to appropriately site and build a bicycle and foot bridge over Fall Creek.

* Delmar Road provides a connection to neighborhoods west of Binford Boulevard. Drexel Avenue provides access to the Kessler View neighborhood and other neighborhoods to the north.

Recreation amenities

Recreation amenities provided in the Fall Creek Parkway include the Greenway Trail,

canoe launches and fishing access. Other amenities requested by participants in the

planning process are picnic and playground facilities, fitness stations and an additional

canoe launch.


Actions

• Expand and enhance recreation amenities along the creek and greenway trail.

Provide for picnic facilities at existing trailhead immediately upstream of 46th Street. (see map)

• Design picnic facilities compatible with occasional flooding.

• Fund and construct picnic facilities.


Provide for picnic facilities at the intersection of Fall Creek Parkway, North Drive and Kessler Boulevard. (see map)*

• Acquire property. • Design picnic facilities

compatible with occasional flooding.

• Fund and construct picnic facilities.

Locate play equipment in proximity to the picnic facilities

• Design playgrounds that are compatible with occasional flooding.

• Fund and construct playgrounds.

Provide fitness stations along the trail

• Determine locations, fund and install fitness stations.

Install an additional canoe launch in proximity to the Emerson Way bridge.

• Design, fund and construct the launch.

* Picnic facilities in proximity to the retail center at Millersville would provide trail users with the opportunity to buy food in the village and then eat it on the parkway. Better linking the village and the trail would be beneficial to both.

Trail users’ experience

The enjoyment of trail is influenced by many factors including the condition of the trail

and its amenities. Maintenance items such as standing water or mud on the trail detract

from the user’s experience.

The original portion of the Fall Creek Trail was installed twenty years from 56th Street

downstream to Allisonville Road. Over time repeated flooding and the clearing of mud,

silt and flood debris from the trail has caused the ground on either side of the trail to build

up, but the trail itself has remained at its original elevation. This has caused a situation

where the trail now holds water and mud. Indy Parks has looked at solutions to this

problem and has determined that the trail needs to be renovated and raised.

Interpretive panels are a feature on many Indianapolis Greenways. Interpretive panels

provide an opportunity for learning. They also help build community by contributing to

the common base of knowledge. Six interpretive panels can already be found along the

Fall Creek Trail. The existing panels provide information on nature and on the greenways

system.


Goals Policies, programs and

projects Actions

• Enhanced greenway trail users’ experience through elimination of standing water and mud on the trail.

Renovate and raise the greenway trail.

• Design, fund and reconstruction the trail.

• Enhanced greenway trail users’ experience through consistent, high-quality maintenance of the trail and trail amenities.

Continued action by the City to promptly address maintenance issues.

• Publicize the need for residents to report maintenance issues such as broken lights, graffiti, and litter through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC)

• Enhanced greenway trail users’ experience through provision of opportunities for learning along the trail.

Install, through the joint effort of the City and local community organizations, additional interpretive panels to trailheads along the Fall Creek Greenway Trail.*

• Decide on locations and text. • Fund and install panels.

* Potential topics include the history of Millersville, history of the parkway system, profiles of Millersville area artists, locations of the historic mills.

Vegetation management

A thick, nearly impenetrable wall of woody shrubs was grown up along the Fall Creek

and in many places crowds the trail. Most of the shrubs in this wall are invasive, exotic

species that, with few natural controls, out-compete the native vegetation. Amur

honeysuckle is by far the most common invasive plant responsible for these issues.

European white mulberry, common buckthorn, oriental bittersweet, Siberian elm,

European highbush cranberry, callery pear, and jetbead are other common, woody

exotics found along the corridor.

Since 2004 Indy Parks and the Department of Public Works have conducted projects

along the corridor to manage invasive, exotic vegetation. These projects are ongoing

and must be maintained annually to prevent re-infestation.



Actions

• Reestablishment of native vegetation along the banks of Fall Creek.

• Reestablishment of views of Fall Creek for safety and scenic purposes.

Continued action by the City to remove invasive, exotic vegetation along the creek.

• Purchase of appropriate equipment.

• Prioritization of sites for invasive, exotic removal.

Cooperation between the City and volunteer organizations to remove invasive, exotic vegetation and replant native vegetation.



Reestablishment of native vegetation at the 56th Street trailhead and pond


* Volunteer events require significant advance planning of both the project and the event and may include site design, approvals and permits, professional supervision and assistance, and donations of funds, materials and supplies.

As trees decline due to age, insects or disease, they require maintenance or removal.

Vegetation growing too close to streets and intersections can blocks views and impede

safe driving, walking and bicycling. Vegetation maintenance in City parks and rights-of-

way is the responsibility of the City; however ongoing budget restraints have led to a

backlog of service requests. The extent of the work is likely to rapidly expand as the

infestation of Emerald Ash Borer will result in the death of nearly all ash trees in the region.

The Department of Public Works has put in place a system that should expedite the

maintenance of vegetation in the parks and rights-of-way. The system is largely

complaint-driven, so neighbors are encouraged to notify the Mayor’s Action Center with

vegetation problems they observe. This will start the maintenance process.



Actions

• Prompt removal of dead trees.

• Prompt removal or pruning of damaged or hazardous trees.

• Pedestrian ways clear of obstructing vegetation.

• Clear sight triangles clear of obstructing vegetation.

Continued action by the City to remove dead trees and to remove or prune damaged or hazardous trees.

• Publicize the need for residents to report dead, damaged or hazardous trees through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC)

Continued action by the City to remove or clear obstructing vegetation from rights-of-way, particularly along pedestrian ways and clear sight triangles.

• Publicize the need for residents to report obstructing vegetation through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC)

• Prompt removal of downed trees in the stream.

Continued action by the City to remove or clear downed trees in the stream. The City can only remove those trees that are accessible from public land or rights-of-way.

• Publicize the need for residents to report downed trees in the stream through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC)

A 14-acre prairie planting has been installed within the Fall Creek parkway downstream

of the Emerson Way bridge. The prairie covers an area that was formerly turf grass. This

area was a maintenance problem because it is low and frequently damp, causing

difficulties with mowing. By creating a no-mow area the City saves approximately $9,000

per year.

However the tall grasses and wildflowers in the prairie cause some trail users to feel

threatened because of a perceived lack of visual surveillance from street.


Actions

• Increased comfort levels for trail users through the prairie planting.

Modify the vegetation management practices for the prairie planting.

• Widen turf areas along the trail. • Add a mid-summer mowing to

the prairie’s management schedule to reduce vegetation heights.


Woollens Garden

Woollens Garden Nature Preserve is one of the assets of the study area; protecting

wooded ravines, providing a haven for wildlife and giving intrepid users a place to get

away from the city without leaving the city. However the site is difficult to access and

faces problems of erosion and dumping.

Access to the site can only be gained by fording Fall Creek, negotiating the heavy traffic

on the Interstate 465 Shadeland Avenue ramp, or crossing private property. This limits use

of the property by the public and makes maintenance of the site difficult. The extent of

any future access to Woollens Garden is a matter for Indy Parks to study further, but at a

minimum should involve access for maintenance.

An Environmental Assessment of the site was conducted in 2002 by the Indy Parks’ Land

Stewardship section. The assessment found problems with erosion, dumping, and

invasive, exotic plants. Storm water from the Cottages of Fall Creek Apartments is

collected in a pipe that discharges into a ravine in the northeast corner of the apartment

property. The ravine continues downhill into Woollens Garden and then into Fall Creek.

The pipe has failed over the years and flashes of storm water leaving the pipe have

caused heavy erosion in the ravine. The excessive erosion has created steep,

destabilized ravine walls. Sediment from the erosion has caused a wedge of sand and

gravel to build up in Fall Creek. Repair of the erosion problems within the preserve is

probably futile until the upstream situation on private property is fixed.

The eroded ravine on the apartment property has become a place to get rid of large

and awkward refuse. These items, such as bicycles, motorcycles, and appliances, roll

down the ravine and into the nature preserve. The western part of the preserve’s south

boundary line adjoins private residences. Lawn waste and old Christmas trees find their

way into this part of the preserve.

Invasive exotic species are found in highest concentration on the fringes of the preserve

where sunlight and disturbance allow propagation of weedy species. Honeysuckle,

wintercreeper, garlic mustard and white mulberry are of particular concern. The Land

Stewardship section has been controlling these invasive, exotic plants with contractors

and volunteers since 2003, but ongoing maintenance will be crucial in maintaining the

diversity of the preserve.


The 1988 master plan for Woollens Garden contains a recommendation for trails within

the park. Trails within the park would enhance the public’s enjoyment of the property,

but until the site is made more accessible, construction of trails would probably not be

worthwhile.


Actions

• Improved access to Woollens Garden

Work with adjacent property owners to arrange for a permanent, public access.

• Options for access include fee simple purchase, donation of property, and purchase or donation of an easement. These actions could occur at any time, but should be particularly considered when adjacent properties are sold, re-zoned or developed.

• Stabilization and repair of the ravines impacted by heavy erosion.

Work with adjacent property owners to halt excessive erosion, rebuild drainage structures to adequately handle the flow, provide ongoing maintenance and remediate the ravines and Fall Creek.

• Put adjacent property owners in contact with the Office of Sustainability and the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District to explore options for private property.

• Design, fund, construct and maintain erosion control measures within the preserve.

• Maintenance of the nature preserve’s habitat quality.

Cooperation between the City and volunteer organizations to remove invasive, exotic vegetation and replant native vegetation.



• Enhanced Woollens Garden users’ experience.

Construction and maintenance of foot trails.

• When access to the site is improved, design, fund and install trails.


Plan Recommendations for Connectivity (Additional information pertaining to connectivity within the village area may be found in

the “Recommendations for the Village of Millersville” section. Additional

recommendations pertaining to connectivity to the Fall Creek Greenway Trail may be

found in the “Recommendations for Fall Creek” section.)

Connectivity refers to how well-linked the various parts of the study area are to each

other. A transportation system with high connectivity will have many short links, numerous

intersections, and minimal dead-ends. As connectivity increases, travel distances

decrease and route options increase. Direct travel between destinations creates a more

accessible system.

Connectivity is an important part of “Complete Streets.” A complete street is one where

pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users of all ages and abilities

are able to move along and across it. Complete Streets make it easy to cross the street,

walk to shops, and bicycle to work. They allow buses to run on time and make it safe for

people to walk to and from train stations in an environment, which is sensitive to human

scale.

As transportation and connectivity

improvements are made they should respectful

of the existing context in which they will be

made and the envisioned state as proposed in

this plan. Context-sensitive design incorporates

elements such as livability, sense of place,

human-scaled urban design, and

environmental protection into transportation

projects without sacrificing traditional

objectives of safety, efficiency, capacity, and maintenance.

Millersville residents and business people seek to:

• Develop and maintain a balanced transportation system that will encourage

commercial vitality and quality of life in Millersville.

56th Street looking west.


• Develop a sustainable transportation network that accommodates the future

expansion of transportation choices

• Create corridors that are safe and inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists and still

move traffic in an efficient manner.

• Achieve a fully functioning transportation network

• Incorporate the principles of complete streets

• Use context sensitive design solutions.

• Promote safe interactions between vehicle and pedestrian traffic

• Improve access to the Village area

• Provide safe pedestrian routes to schools

• Connect sidewalks, bike lanes and trails to regional systems.

• Improve connectivity between and within neighborhoods

Walking

Sidewalks

Sidewalks are rare in the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley community. Only two

neighborhoods in the planning area that have sidewalks: Brendon Park and Lake

Charlevoix. Roxbury Road, Arlington Avenue and Emerson Avenue each have partial

sidewalks. Despite the lack of sidewalks, people are walking in the area, as the “cow

paths” along 56th Street show.

Gaps in the current sidewalk network create barriers to

safe movement for pedestrians from the neighborhoods to

the village commercial area and Fall Creek Trail. Creating

a pedestrian-friendly system is vital to the success of

Millersville at Fall Creek Valley. New infrastructure and

amenities will heighten the pedestrian experience,

strengthening pathways between jobs, housing, and transit

and promoting the economic viability of the village area.

Connecting underserved areas and minimizing conflicts for

populations with low mobility are essential. Pedestrian

crossings, signals, crosswalk treatments, way-finding signs,

street lighting, street furniture and streetscape elements are all important parts of the

pedestrian system.

Looking west from the 56th Street bridge.


The Department of Public Works will add sidewalks and crosswalks to missing areas as

money becomes available through its Capital Improvement Plan. Each year the City

allocates funds from neighborhood bonds to fund the Sidewalk Program. Sidewalks are

requested and prioritized in accordance with the City’s Sidewalk Retrofit Policy. The

prioritization, design, construction and maintenance of convenient and efficient

transportation facilities improve safety, enhances neighborhood livability, promote

transportation choices and meet land use objectives.

When new development or major redevelopment projects occur, the City’s zoning

ordinances require the construction of sidewalks if they are missing from the parcel.

Crosswalks

All intersections function as if there is a

crosswalk whether the crosswalk is marked or

unmarked. Marked crosswalks are important

for safety as they alert motorists to the

possible presence of pedestrians and help

direct pedestrians, especially the sight

impaired. Few crosswalks within the planning

area clearly marked.

Every crosswalk within Millersville should be clearly marked for safety. Some crosswalks

may be appropriate locations for enhanced treatments such as center medians or

raised crosswalks. These enhancements improve safety by reducing vehicle speed at

crosswalks and reducing exposure of pedestrian to vehicles. Center medians can

improve crossing safety by providing a refuge space that allows the pedestrian to cross

each direction of traffic separately. Center medians are installed only where pavement

widths are sufficient. Raised crosswalks increase visibility of the crosswalk and decrease

vehicle speeds. Mid block signage is a way to increasing awareness of pedestrians and

visibility of the crosswalk.

Example of a crosswalk with a center median.



projects Actions

• Improve pedestrian safety and convenience

Install sidewalks throughout the study area. (see following list for first and second priority locations)

• Work with the Department of Public Works and local City-County Councillors to place projects in the capital improvement plan.

Provide appropriate pedestrian amenities, such as benches, lights, street trees and trash containers

• Work with the Department of Public Works. Additional funding may be needed to add amenities that are more than the standard.

Install crosswalks throughout the study area. (see following list for priority locations)

• Work with the Department of Public Works and local City-County Councillors to place projects in the capital improvement plan.

Sidewalk Locations

Proposed sidewalks are divided into first-priority and second-priority groups based on

distances from destinations and public input.

The locations of proposed sidewalks were based on the following list of criteria:

• Destinations - areas within 500 feet for first-priority sidewalks and 1000 feet for

second-priority sidewalks of the following destinations:

o park entrances and greenway trailheads,

o schools,

o churches,

o drugstores,

o office and retail centers,

o bus stops,

o apartment community entrances,

o major employers (10 employees or more)

• Places that currently have heavy vehicle traffic (traffic counts of 15,000 vehicles or

more per day).

• Missing links between existing sidewalks (a distance of 1000’ or less)

• Places that currently have heavy foot traffic.

• Available space in the right-of-way


Proposed Sidewalk Locations

Street Location Side of street * Width of

sidewalk

First Priority Sidewalks

56th Street Forest Manor Ave to Binford Blvd North 5 feet

56th Street Binford Blvd to Dequincy St Both 5 feet

56th Street Dequincy St to Fall Creek Pkwy Both 10 feet

56th Street Fall Creek Pkwy to Old Colony Rd South 5 feet

Emerson Avenue 46th St to Radnor Rd East 5 feet

Emerson Way Laurel Hall Dr to Fall Creek Pkwy West 5 feet

Emerson Way Windridge Dr to Fall Creek bridge East 5 feet

Emerson Way Fall Creek Pkwy to Kessler Ave Both 10 feet

Fall Creek Parkway 56th Street to Trailhead Both 6 feet

Fall Creek Connecting the sidewalks on the 46th

St, Emerson Way and 56th St bridges

to the trail

Both Per Indy Parks

specifications

Fall Creek Road Kessler Blvd to Common Vista Way West 5 feet

Kessler Boulevard Dequincy St to Emerson Way Both 5 feet

Kessler Boulevard Emerson Way to 56th St South 5 feet

Second Priority Sidewalks

46th Street Binford Blvd to Eastbourne Dr Both 5 feet

56th Street Allisonvillle Rd to Forest Manor Ave North 5 feet

56th Street Old Colony Rd to I-465 Both 5 feet

Brendon Way, South

Drive

56th Street to clubhouse North 5 feet

Drexel Avenue 56th St to Fall Creek Pkwy East 5 feet

Eastbourne Road Eastbourne Ci to 46th St East 5 feet

Kessler Boulevard Dequincy St to Allisonville Rd North 5 feet

Millersville Road 46th St to Emerson Wy South 5 feet

Moonlight Road 55th Pl to 56th St Both 5 feet

Roxbury Road 56th St to Roxbury Ci East 5 feet

* Where it is functionally appropriate and space is available, sidewalks are preferable on both sides of every

designated street.



Crosswalk locations

The following list represents the top priority intersections for marked crosswalks as

determined by public input.

Crosswalks should follow the most direct and convenient pedestrian path. Marked

crosswalks must be a minimum of 6ft. wide and must connect to established sidewalks on

both ends. ADA accessible ramps shall be included at both ends of crosswalks

installations unless there are engineering reasons they cannot be provided. Designing

crosswalks with contrasting color and/or texture heightens their visibility and aids in

calming traffic.

Intersections recommended for marked crosswalks:

• 46th Street and Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive

• 46th Street and Emerson Avenue

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and Alsuda Drive

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and Delmar

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and Drexel Avenue

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and Emerson Way

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and 56th Street

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and Kessler Boulevard

• Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and Chaminoix Lane

• Millersville Road and Laurel Circle

• Millersville Road and Emerson Way

• Emerson Way Mid-block between Fall Creek Pkwy N. Drive and 56th Street

• Emerson Way and Kessler Boulevard

• 56th Street and Allisonville Road

• 56th Street and Binford Boulevard

• 56th Street and Linwood Drive

• 56th Street and Emerson Avenue

• 56th Street Mid-block between Emerson Avenue and Kessler Boulevard

• 56th Street and Kessler Boulevard

• 56th Street and the entrance to Cathedral High School

• 56th Street and Roxbury Road

• 56th Street and Arlington Avenue

• 56th Street and Old Colony Road


Bicycling

A Central Indiana Regional Bikeways Plan is being developed to establish priorities for

both regional and local bikeways through the year 2035. The plan’s goals are to

increase the number and safety of people riding bikes. The plan will score proposed bike

facilities against a list of criteria and give each proposal a funding priority. The

Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council (IRTC) has set a goal of directing 7% of the

region’s total transportation funding to bicycling and pedestrian facilities.

Three types of bikeways are proposed in the Regional Bikeways Plan: bike trails, bike

lanes and side paths. Bike trails are separated from traffic and are not located in a street

right-of-way. A bike lane is distinguished by pavement markings and signs for the specific

use of cyclists. For example, the bikeway on Allisonville Road is a pair of bike lanes. A

side path is much like a sidewalk in that it is separated from motor vehicle traffic and is

within a street right-of-way.

Currently, the City of Indianapolis has over 60 miles of on-street bike lanes. The

Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and Department of Public Works have worked

together on an Indy Bikeways Plan. This plan will create more than 200 miles of local bike

lanes throughout Indianapolis over the next 15 years.

Using local funds, bike lanes have been installed as part of resurfacing and sewer

projects. Bike lanes have also been completed through a Federal Transportation

Enhancement Grant.


Actions

• Create a safe, convenient network of bikeways within the study area

• Connect bikeways within the study area to the regional network of bikeways

Provide bikeways as recommended in the following list.

• Work with the Office and Sustainability and the DPW Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator to establish local bikeways.

• Work with the MPO and IRTC to secure funding for connections to local bikeways.



• Provide secure and convenient bicycle parking

Locate bike parking at key destinations such as commercial and retail establishments. Parking should be well lit and in an area with street activity and active building fronts. Attention should be paid to the shape and design of the racks to maximize efficiency, usability and security.

• Include provision of bike parking in zoning and variance petitions.

The use of pervious pavement on bike paths and lanes would help alleviate drainage problems. Bicycle route signage should be provided at strategic locations. Recommended bikeways:

• A cross-county route south on Graham Road and Fall Creek Road, east on 56th

Street and then south on Arlington Avenue.

• 46th Street from Keystone Avenue to Shadeland Avenue

• 56th Street between Arlington Avenue and Old Colony Road

• 56th Street between Allisonville to the 56th Street bridge, as an alternative route to

62nd Street

• 62nd Street bikeway route from Allisonville Road to Kryghton Road to down to Fall

Creek Parkway North

• On-street bike lane running parallel to the Fall Creek trail

Recommended connections to regional bikeways:

• Bridging the gap between Fall Creek Greenway Trail between I-465 and Fort

Harrison State Park

Driving

Thoroughfares

Millersville at Fall Creek Valley is well-placed to take advantage of the city’s network of

thoroughfares. Interstate 465, which forms the eastern boundary of the project area, has

an interchange at 56th Street, and Binford Boulevard, an expressway, angles along the

western edge of the community. The city’s regular street grid starts to lose its

rectangularity as it hits Fall Creek causing Millersville to be a something of a hub where

56th Street, Kessler Boulevard, Fall Creek Road, Fall Creek Parkway and Emerson Way all

come together.


Other important streets in the area are 46th Street, an east-west thoroughfare, and north-

south arterials Shadeland Avenue, Allisonville Road, Arlington Avenue and Sherman

Drive. The majority of the thoroughfares in the project area are in good condition; some

just need minor repair. However, much of Fall Creek Parkway’s pavement is

deteriorated.

The area’s thoroughfares move a lot of traffic efficiently and quickly; so quickly that

Emerson Way and 56th Street have reputations for over-the-limit speeds that often make

left-turns onto or off of these streets a problem.

The study area benefits from the attractive streetscapes to be found along many of its

thoroughfares where established homes, mature trees and a rolling topography add to

their visual quality. But factors such as frequent curb cuts, visual clutter from signs and

overhead utilities, poor street lighting, and a lack of pedestrian or bicycle amenities can

detract from the sense of place and make a street look undesirable and work against

new investment.

Local Streets

Local streets are generally found within residential areas. Frequently these streets were

installed by the original developer and, because of their light traffic, rarely needed

repair. However many of these streets in the Millersville area are now forty to sixty years

old and are nearing obsolescence. Pavement conditions and street drainage are

particular issues. Examples are Kessler View Drive and the section of Millersville Road

north of Fall Creek.




Actions

• Improve traffic safety Conduct traffic studies to determine what physical or operational changes to the roadways are needed to improve safety. (see following list for recommended locations)*

• Work with the Department of Public Works to plan, fund and conduct traffic studies.

As pedestrian facilities are built, alert motorists to the increasing numbers of pedestrians

• Place articles in neighborhood newsletters.

• Install cautionary signs. • Increase traffic patrols

during the transition period.

Clear sight triangles clear of obstructing vegetation.

• Publicize the need for residents to report obstructing vegetation through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC).

• Repair local streets Conduct community-wide street condition surveys to determine top priority needs

• “Street and Alley” and “Sidewalk and Curb” survey forms are available for neighborhoods to use and then submit to the Department of Public Works.

* Examples of operational changes would be re-timing stoplights or restricting right turns on red lights in order to make street crossing safer for walkers and bikers.

Recommended traffic studies:

• 56th Street from Shadeland Avenue to Kessler Boulevard to reduce speeds,

provide safe turns onto and off the street, add landscaped medians, and

accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

• 56th Street, Emerson Way and 46th Street bridges to add sidewalks, bike lanes and

railings.

• Emerson Way from Fall Creek to Laurel Hall to reduce speeds, provide safe turns

onto and off the street, add landscaped medians, and accommodate

pedestrians and cyclists.

• Fall Creek Parkway, North Drive from Emerson Way to 56th Street to widen and

improve the park space and reduce street and trail flooding.

• Streets in the Village area to reduce speeds, reduce pavement widths, improve

safety and convenience for pedestrians and cyclists, provide for mid-block


pedestrian crossings, add landscaped medians, and use infrastructure for place-

making.

• Kessler Boulevard west of Binford Boulevard to improve traffic safety and

accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

Physical measures to reduce the negative effect of motor vehicle use, alter driver

behavior and improve conditions for non-motorized street users is often referred to as

“Traffic Calming.” For more on traffic calming see Appendix C.

Mass Transit

Currently the study area is not served by a bus route (an express bus runs along the east

edge of the study area but does not stop). Lack of residential density and employment

density are primary reasons for the lack of bus service.

Although the overall density of the area is low, some spots do have a significant number

of potential transit users. In particular is the area on either side of 56th Street at the I-465

interchange where two large apartment communities are located.

The northeastern quadrant of metropolitan Indianapolis is currently being studied for a

rapid transit route that would connect downtown Indianapolis with destinations in

northeastern Indianapolis and extending north to the Town of Fishers and the City of

Noblesville. An Alternatives Analysis and an Environmental Impact Statement are

currently being conducted for the proposed line.

The proposed rapid transit line is likely to run west of the study area. If the opportunity for

mass transit in the northeast corridor develops, Millersville would benefit from an IndyGo

Bus route to close the gap between the study area and the rapid transit route. The

obvious routes to the west are 56th Street and Kessler Boulevard. However, adding an

east/west bus route to 56th Street/Kessler Boulevard is hampered by the physical

constraints of these roadways. 56th Street narrows considerably west of Emerson Way

and Kessler Boulevard is plagued by a narrow winding downhill section.



Actions

• Provide bus service to the apartment communities at 56th Street and I-465

Extend existing routes to serve this area.

• Work with IndyGo to study and fund a route extension.

• Connect the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley community to a proposed rapid transit line serving the northeast corridor.

Establish a bus route from the Millersville area to the most convenient station on the rapid transit route

• Work with IndyGo and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to plan this route.

Fix deficiencies on 56th Street and/or Kessler Boulevard to accommodate a bus route

• Work with IndyGO and the Department of Public Works to determine the best solutions to these deficiencies.


Plan Recommendations for Neighborhoods Neighborhood character

Myriad factors contribute to the character of a neighborhood, but broadly a

neighborhood’s character is its unique mix of place and people. Vibrant neighborhoods

are open to new ideas and evolving patterns of place and people. In the early

information-gathering phase of this planning process, a number of suggestions were

made for neighborhood projects and programs. The table below elaborates on some of

those ideas, but they should be seen only as a starting point or inspiration.

Among the suggestions issues that might inspire a neighborhood response are the often

interrelated issues of identity, sustainability, health and aging in place.

Because the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area is a collection of neighborhoods, identity

can be a difficult, even emotional, issue. Building a Millersville at Fall Creek Valley brand

should be respectful of already-established neighborhood identities. The advantages of

creating an image or identity for the area are to build community involvement and

market the community to new residents and businesses. By developing a sense of

cohesion, the neighborhoods within the community can work together to build even

greater capacity to get things done. The Millersville at Fall Creek Valley organization has

already developed a logo, maintains a website and sponsors events and programs such

as a summertime market café, a series of outdoor concerts, and beautification projects

Sustainability, the community’s ability to meet its needs without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet their needs, is evident in many of this plan’s goals, policies,

projects, and programs. Neighbors can work together to increase the sustainability of

their neighborhoods. Some issues that are beyond the capacity of individual property

owners are perfectly scaled to be addressed at a neighborhood level.

Communities can be developed in ways that either promote or detract from public

health and retrofitting a neighborhood to better promote public health can be difficult

and costly. This area has community health advantages such as the Fall Creek

Greenway Trail and an extensive tree canopy. However it also has disadvantages. The

lack of sidewalks and social spaces discourages walking and public interaction.

Improvements are being made that will aid public health. Neighborhoods with septic


tanks have recently been converted to sanitary sewers and bike routes are being

developed along some of the major streets. As with some sustainability issues, the

neighborhood can be an excellent scale at which to address some community health

issues.

The Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area has a higher percent of retirement-aged persons

than does Marion County as a whole (14% vs. 11%). Neighborhoods with a large

population of senior citizens are sometimes referred to as a NORC, a naturally occurring

retirement community. Various government and social service organizations have

studied and provide programming and services to NORCs in an effort to allow people to

age in place. Maintaining seniors in their homes and maintaining the homes of seniors

can be a big benefit to a neighborhood.


projects Actions

• Develop a cohesive community identity

Build a consensus on a Millersville at Fall Creek Valley identity.

• Consult with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center to take advantage of their existing programs and expertise.

Develop consistent identifiers, such as gateway signage.

Sponsor events and programs

• Increase the sustainability of the neighborhood

Develop a neighborhood sustainability plan

• Determine which aspects of sustainability are neighborhood’s greatest concerns.

• Conduct a local "sustainability" assessment.

• Create a vision and action plan. • Develop sustainability indicators. • Identify sources of help. • Carry out projects. • Measure progress. • The City’s Office of Sustainability

and various programs within local colleges and universities are sources for information and expertise.


Develop neighborhood-level storm water strategies.

• Consult with the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District, Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and the Lower Fall Creek Watershed Alliance to take advantage of their existing programs and expertise.

Develop a neighborhood tree-planting or reforestation program.

• Consult with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to take advantage of their existing programs and expertise.

Develop a neighborhood-level recycling program.

• Consult with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to take advantage of their existing programs and expertise.

• Provide opportunities for healthy lifestyles

Provide a forum for the discussion of health issues.

• Consult with Health by Design or the Marion County Health Department to take advantage of their expertise.

• Increase the senior-friendliness of the neighborhood

Consult with senior organizations to take advantage of their existing programs.

• See list in Appendix E for a partial list of organizations.

Architectural heritage

The identity and history of an

area is often manifested in its

architecture. The bulk of the

homes in the study area were

constructed in the 1950s and

1960s, so they reflect the

dominant residential

architecture trends of the

time. The area’s architecture

can be used to create

awareness and appreciation of the neighborhoods.

Two of the most commonly found styles In the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley

neighborhoods are:

Mid-century Modern home.


Modern: Typically flat-roofed or with shallow gables, they often incorporate wood, brick

and stone into the facades. The gabled forms often have wide eave overhangs and

exposed rafters. They are not bound to a particular shape and have little or no

decorative detailing.

Ranch: Low-pitched hip or side-gable roofs often with wide, boxed eaves are common.

The horizontality of the houses is emphasized by the shape, style and placement of

windows. They typically will present

a wide frontage to the street,

although the entrance is often

unobtrusive. Porches are rare.

Garages are often attached. They

are often minimally ornamented,

although it is not uncommon to see

them ornamented with elements of

earlier styles. In the study area

ranch homes with Colonial,

Georgian and French Provincial

detailing can be found.

The Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology developed an inventory of

historic sites and structures for Lawrence Township in 1994 and for Washington Township in

1999. These inventories list sites and districts of historic

significance and rate them in ascending order of

significance as contributing, notable or outstanding.

Contributing structures (houses unless otherwise

noted)

3640 E. 46th Street, Double-pile, c. 1850 since

demolished

Millersville General Store, 5422 Millersville Road, 1870

5440 Millersville Road, Dutch Colonial Revival, c. 1910

Chapel, 5225 E. 56th Street, c. 1914

5660 Emerson Way, American Foursquare, c. 1925

3960 E. 58th Street, Cape Cod Colonial Revival, c.

1930

5740 Rolling Ridge Road, Colonial Revival, c. 1930

Ranch home.

5440 Millersville Road.


Bridge, approximately 4600 Millersville Road, Concrete Arch, 1938

5010 Fall Creek Parkway, c. 1940

5020 Fall Creek Parkway, French Eclectic, c. 1940

5001 E. Kessler Boulevard, Ranch 1949

Notable structures (houses unless otherwise noted)

Joseph Ringer-Johnson House, 5580 Dequincy Street, I-House/Greek Revival, c. 1855

Winpenny House, 5504 Millersville Road, I-House, c. 1865

5714 Fall Creek Road, American Foursquare, c. 1910

Water Tower, 5220 Ladywood Drive, 1911, since demolished

Fletcher Bridge, 5225 E. 56th Street, c. 1915

Carriage House, 5225 E. 56th Street, c. 1915

Millersville Masonic Temple. 4990 E. Kessler Boulevard, Neo-classical, 1925

5220 Ladywood Drive, Colonial Revival, c. 1940, since demolished

Outstanding structures

Laurel Hall, 5395 Emerson Way, Jacobethan Revival, c. 1911

Loretto Hall, 5225 E. 56th Street, Tudor Revival, c. 1927

Carr-Roberts House, 3650 E. 46th Street, Tudor Revival, 1928

Historic district

Brendonwood, with 25 contributing structures, 21 notable structures and three

outstanding structures (the Walter C. Marmon House, 5610 E. 56th Street, c. 1920; the

Charles S. Lewis House, 6120 Old Orchard Road, 1923; and the Ralph V. Roberts House,

6350 Old Orchard Road, c. 1925)

Goals Policies, programs and projects Actions

• Use the area’s architectural heritage as an avenue to promote the area.

Create an inventory of mid-century modern structures.

• Consult with the organization Indiana Landmarks or the Ball State University’s historic preservation program for assistance in engaging an architectural historian to conduct the inventory.


Nominate eligible structures and districts to the National Register of Historic Places

• To learn more, go to the National Park Service website at nps.gov/nr/about.htm or consult with the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archeology

Call attention to the area’s architectural heritage through events such as home tours.

• Consult with the organization Indiana Landmarks for technical assistance in holding a home tour.

• Virtual home tours can be posted on line on neighborhood organization websites and on realtourvision.com and historichometours.com.

Create a walking or driving tour brochure.

• Consult with the organization Indiana Landmarks or the Ball State University’s historic preservation program for technical assistance.

• Use the area’s history as an avenue to promote the area.

Erect markers telling of the area’s history.*

• Consult with the Indiana Historical Bureau.

• Develop marker message and raise funds (approximately $2000) for the marker.

• Plan an unveiling ceremony to publicize the marker and the history it interprets.

• Apply to have the marker posted online at HMdb.org

Call attention to the area’s history through events such as a neighborhood history night or themed tour (like Irvington’s ghost tour).*

• Consult with the organization Indiana Landmarks and the history programs of local universities for recommendations for speakers.

Write a history of the area • Consult with Indiana University’s Center for the Study of History and Memory to develop an oral history project.

• Consult with the organization Indiana Landmarks and the history programs of local universities for suggestions of researchers/authors to develop a history of the area.

Use neighborhood events as an opportunity to promote the area’s history and architectural heritage

• Create a portable display that could be easily set up at community events.

* The 175th anniversary of the establishment of Millersville is in 2013. The centennial of Brendonwood is in 2017.


Housing conditions

Although most of the homes in the study area are forty-plus years old, most are still in

excellent condition or need only superficial repairs. However a survey of the exterior

conditions found one area with a significant concentration of homes in poor condition:

the area between Binford Boulevard and Fall Creek Parkway on either side of 46th Street.

This area has 43 single-family structures of which 58% are owner-occupied. The

conditions of these houses were rated as follows:

• Excellent: 16%

• Superficial repairs needed: 44%

• Minor deterioration: 25%

• Major deterioration: 16%

No owner holds more than one home in the neighborhood, so no single owner or small

group of owners dominates property ownership. There were three apparently vacant

homes in the neighborhood at the time of the survey and all three exhibit major

deterioration.

As the condition of homes improves, the correlation with owner-occupancy gets

stronger.

Condition Percent of Owner-occupied

houses

Percent of Non-owner-

occupied houses

Excellent 20% 11%

Superficial repairs needed 40% 44%

Minor deterioration 24% 28%

Major deterioration 16% 17%

Deteriorated homes can create a downward spiral of disinvestment and ever poorer

housing conditions. The area described above is relatively isolated from the rest of the

study area, so it is probably not creating a negative impact directly on a wide area.

However deteriorated homes are concern wherever they may occur.



Actions

• Repair or demolition of deteriorated structures

Continued action by the Marion County Health Department to cause property owners to repair or demolish deteriorated structures.

• Publicize the need for residents to report deteriorated structures to the Marion County Health Department’s Housing and Neighborhood Health section (221-2150)

Work with the Land Bank to develop a neighborhood strategy for abandoned homes.

• Tax delinquent properties that have been through a County tax sale and not sold can be transferred to the City’s Land Bank, which in turn can transfer them to entities that will repair or demolish and rebuild them

Create a neighborhood work group to hold events to do home repair for willing homeowners.

• Consult with Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center or SouthEast Neighborhood Development for ideas in setting up an event.

Crime and security

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has characterized the study

area as safe, but not crime free. The most commonly reported crime is theft (taking

someone else’s property) followed by burglary (entering a structure with the intent to

commit a felony). In the first half of 2011 seventeen crimes against persons were

reported, which is low for an area this large, but still a concern.



Actions

• Reduced crime and a safer neighborhood

Take advantage of information and programs provided by IMPD.

• Arrange for IMPD Community resource officers to attend neighborhood association meetings.

• Contact IMPD for information on forming Crime Watches.

• Arrange with IMPD to conduct CPTED surveys.*

Publicize crime prevention information.

• Use neighborhood newsletters neighborhood association events as venues for disseminating information.

* CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design), employs physical design features that discourage crime, while at the same time encouraging legitimate use of the environment. It has been shown to greatly reduce crime in targeted areas in other cities. See Appendix D.

Nuisance violations

Nuisance violations refer to violations of City health and property maintenance codes

such as high weeds and grass, abandoned and unsafe buildings, accumulation of trash

on private property, and inoperable vehicles. These types of violations detract from the

overall character of a neighborhood and contribute to neighborhood decline. Based

on 2009 data, the number of nuisance violations in the study area is low. The only

exception to this is the area south of 46th Street between Binford Boulevard and Fall

Creek Parkway.

In a survey of participants in this planning process, trash was the nuisance violation of

greatest concern. Trash was also the most common type of nuisance abatement case

in the study area in 2009 with 88 violations.

The City can tow vehicles that are left standing on any street or public place in violation

of City or State code, as well as any stolen or wrecked vehicle on a street or public

place. Vehicles can also be towed from private property if the property is not zoned for

the storage of inoperable vehicles and if the vehicle is at least three model years old,


mechanically inoperable and visible from public property for more than 20 days or left

for more than 48 hours on private property with the property owner’s consent.


Actions

• Prompt removal of trash from private property.

Continued action by the Marion County Health Department to cause the removal of trash from private property.

• Publicize the need for residents to report trash accumulating on private property to the Marion County Health Department’s Housing and Neighborhood Health section (221-2150).

• Prompt removal of illegally dumped trash on public property.

Continued action by the City’s Department of Code Enforcement to remove trash on public property.

• Publicize the need for residents to dumping of trash on public property through the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC).

• Prompt removal of inoperable vehicles.

Continued action by the City’s Department of Code Enforcement to remove abandoned or inoperable vehicles from private property or public rights-of-way.

• Publicize the need for residents to report abandoned and inoperable vehicles to the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC).

• Prompt abatement of high weeds and grass.

Continued action by the City’s Department of Code Enforcement to cause the abatement of high weeds and grass.

• Publicize the need for residents to report high weeds and grass to the Mayor’s Action Center (327-4MAC).


Plan Recommendations for the Village of Millersville

Millersville is the neighborhood commercial hub that serves the study area. It consists of

the area defined by the curve of Fall Creek in proximity to the meeting of a number of

arterial streets: Kessler Boulevard, 56th Street, Emerson Way, Fall Creek Road and Fall

Creek Parkway. Primarily a retail area interspersed with offices, an assisted living facility

and a Masonic Lodge, Millersville is generally surrounded by condominiums and large-lot

single-family homes.

Through the planning process the following set of development principles was defined to

describe the ideals and goals for redevelopment in the Millersville area.

Neighborhood-level retail and office needs are fully served.

By providing a full range of neighborhood level services, Millersville will not give local

residents a reason to go elsewhere for their day-to-day needs. Community and

regional level services typically are more intense in terms of traffic and activity and

are typically larger in size. These uses should be kept to a minimum to

accommodate the neighborhood uses and the physical scale of the area.

Businesses are well-connected physically and visually.

A group of businesses in proximity to each other does not make a business

community. It takes interpersonal connections to create mutual support. The

physical lay-out of the area should support and encourage interpersonal

connections by providing views from business to business, buildings that don’t

needlessly turn their back to each other and sites with integrated access.

The business area is pedestrian friendly.

Design of the streets, sidewalks and crosswalks, as well as traffic patterns and speeds

should create safe and convenient interaction between pedestrians and vehicles.

Safe pedestrian connections from the surrounding institutions and neighborhoods will

bring customers into the retail area. Providing safe, convenient pedestrian

connections within the retail area will encourage customers to spend more time and

visit more businesses.


The business area is well-connected to Fall Creek Trail.

The Fall Creek Greenway Trail is an asset for the Millersville retail area. The trail is a

conduit for both residents from the surrounding neighborhoods and people from

outside the neighborhood who are using the trail for recreation. Creating easy

connections between the retail area and the trail will encourage trail-users to be

customers.

The streetscape is attractive, practical and reinforces the identity of the area.

The streetscape provides an opportunity to express the identity of the area through

the use of materials, landscaping, lighting, signage and other elements. Plant

materials soften the harshness of the modern urban environment. Installing trees and

plants will contribute to an overall sense of community and bring aesthetic and

economic benefits by creating a perception that an area is comfortable, high-

quality and well taken care of. A convenient, safe, and easily understood

streetscape will ensure that drivers and pedestrians can see where they are going

and feel welcomed to the area.

Historic buildings are preserved.

Millersville has a physical heritage that few commercial areas in the City have.

Retaining and accentuating its historic fabric will differentiate the area and aid in its

marketing.

Outdoor social spaces are provided.

Neighborhood retail centers provide places where neighbors can randomly and

informally meet. The expectation that one might run into friends and neighbors

becomes a reason to patronize the area. Providing for outdoor social spaces such as

sidewalks, benches, patios, and outdoor dining will strengthen the social aspects of

the area.

Market

Although the village dates back to 1838, its development as a modern commercial area

dates to the 1970s. Toward the end of the first decade of the 21st century the area was

starting to show signs of disinvestment as two major retail tenants in the area shut their


doors. However the market for goods and services in the area appears to be good, so

revitalization of the area would appear to have an excellent chance of success.

The demand for goods is driven in part by the demographics of the service area. The

2010 census population for the study area is 10,553 persons in 4,858 households. The

Millersville at Fall Creek Valley study area is more racially diverse, better educated, older,

and has higher household incomes than Marion County as a whole. The area also has a

higher income per acre than Marion County as a whole.

Race, Hispanic origin (2010 Census) Education attainment (2009 Census

estimate)

White 43.5% Not a high school

graduate 8.7%

African-American

50.6%

High graduate 23.0%

Native American 0.2% Some college 22.7%

Asian 1.1%

Associate degree 6.3%

Other 2.0%

Bachelor degree 23.7%

Multi-racial 2.7%

Masters degree 11.6%

Hispanic 4.3% Professional school

degree 3.1%

Doctorate degree 0.9%

Household income (2010 Census, income for the year 2009)

Income (2010 Census, income for the year 2009)

Less than $15,000 5.5% Median household income $60,817

15,000 to 24,999 8.7%

Income per acre $100,284

25,000 to 49,999 26.6%

50,000 to 74,999 22.2%

Age (2010 Census)

75,000 to 99,999 16.2%

17 years or less 21.9%

100,000 to 199,999 15.5% 18-64 62.9%

$200,000+ 5.1% 65 years or more 15.2%


A private information company’s software was used to develop a retail marketplace

profile for the study area. Based on this company’s analysis of the study area, the study

area has a higher than average demand for most goods and services. This information

was then compared to the retail sales in the area. The comparisons were used to

determine leakage and surplus. Leakage is the amount of the area’s demand for a type

of retailer that is being satisfied outside the study area. Surplus is the amount of sales for

a type of retailer within the study area that is coming from customers who live outside the

study area.

The types of retailers with the greatest leakage in the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area

are:

1. Department stores

2. Furniture stores

3. Motor vehicle dealers other than dealers of automobiles, light trucks, SUVs and

passenger vans

4. Jewelry, luggage and leather goods stores

5. Shoe stores

6. Sporting goods, hobby and musical instrument stores

7. Lawn and garden equipment and supplies stores

8. Automotive dealers (automobiles, light trucks, SUVs and passenger vans)

Many of these retailer types are regional in their draw and would not be found in each

neighborhood.

The study was developed from 2006 and 2007 data, a time when the grocery at the

Windridge Shops was still in operation, which may skew the results.

Traffic counts are another factor is the location decisions of retailers. Traffic counts

through the Millersville area are generally favorable. (see map on page 28) The Fall

Creek Greenway Trail brings pedestrians and bicyclists to Millersville. Trail counts are

highly weather dependent, but range from 400 a month in harsh winter weather to over

8000 a month in pleasant summer weather. (see chart on page 6)


Although there may be a large enough market in the Millersville area to sustain the

village’s retailers, a lack of identity and marketing may be allowing potential customers

to slip away.

The Millersville at Fall Creek Valley organization has made a start at establishing an

identity for the area through beautification projects, creation of a logo and

maintenance of a website. The group has also started to market the area through

events such as a summer concert series and weekly market café evenings during the

summer. Also, a businesspersons group has been formed and has started to meet.


projects

Actions

• Strengthen the village’s customer base

Establish an authentic identity or brand, possibly with the help of marketing professionals.

• Develop a marketing group within the businesspersons association.

Conduct events and programs that will attract customers.

• Create an attractive shopping and business environment

Develop a façade improvement program.

• Consult with the City’s divisions of Community and Economic Development for assistance in establishing these programs.

Create a Business Improvement District. *

Create a form-based village zoning district

• Work with property owners in the village to establish a consensus on creating the district.

• Using the framework set out in the zoning section, pages 57 to 67, work with the City’s Division of Planning to create a regulating plan.

• Adoption of the district requires action by both the Metropolitan Development Commission and the City-County Council.

* A BID is typically formed by a group of property owners in a geographically defined area to fund supplemental governmental services (e.g. cleaning and maintenance), non-governmental services (e.g. landscaping, marketing and promotion), and capital investments (e.g. sidewalk widening). The municipality in which a BID is located collects the BID's supplemental property tax assessments through its general taxation powers and distributes them to the BID. A board of directors composed of property owners, merchants, residents and public sector representatives is then given authority by the government to undertake projects and programs within the district.


Street and Traffic patterns

(Recommendations pertaining to connectivity within the village area may be found in

the “Recommendations for Connectivity” section.)

The width and configuration of the streets within the village have an effect on drivers,

pedestrians and the businesses that serve them. In order to balance the needs of these

groups the work group recommended modifications to the streets in the village that will

maintain traffic volume while reducing speeds, increasing pedestrian safety and

convenience, and providing a sense of place.

Emerson Way between Fall Creek Parkway and 56th Street varies in width from six to

seven lanes. This includes two north-bound through lanes, two south-bound through

lanes, a center turn lane, a south-bound right-turn lane and in some locations a north-

bound right-turn lane. This many lanes of traffic are daunting to pedestrians and

probably excessive for the volume of traffic on this street segment. This segment should

be studied by traffic engineers for the possibility of reducing the number of lanes and the

addition of a mid-block pedestrian crossing. Some likely modifications would be the

reduction in length of the right-turn lanes and the addition of medians to the center turn

lane. The addition of curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bike lanes would help direct and

control traffic, pedestrians and storm water run-off.

As 56th Street approaches the village of Millersville from the west it increases in width from

two lanes to four through lanes plus a turn lane. Turning traffic is controlled by raised

medians. Although less wide than Emerson Way, 56th Street is not as pedestrian friendly

as it could be. 56th Street should be studied by traffic engineers for the possibility of

reducing the length of the turn lanes and the addition of a mid-block pedestrian

crossing. The addition of curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bike lanes would help direct and

control traffic, pedestrians and storm water run-off. The 56th Street Bridge should also be

studied to determine the best way to get pedestrians across Fall Creek, in particular

students from Cathedral High School who currently walk across the bridge despite less

than ideal conditions.

The addition of pedestrian crosswalks at all major intersections within the village is

recommended. Mid-block pedestrian crossing should be well-lit for added safety.


Fall Creek Parkway, North Drive as it parallels the creek and connects Emerson Way to

56th Street is a relatively low-traffic street. It provides access to the Windridge Shops and

to one of the major trailheads on the Fall Creek Greenway Trail. This street is a link in the

overall parkway system, although its current route is not its historic one. The current route

dates from the 1970s and the development of the Windridge Shops. This street and the

adjacent greenway trail are prone to flooding. Park planners and traffic engineers

should study this street segment for the possibility of reducing it to one lane and

relocating the

greenway trail to

higher ground.

Modification of

greenway

parking, provision

of picnicking

facilities, and

vegetation

management

along Fall Creek

and the pond on

the north side of

the street should

also be studied.

Millersville Road Bridge over Fall Creek.

The street infrastructure can add to the sense of place in Millersville. This can be in the

form of public art, artistic street furniture or unique crosswalk markings. The eventual

renovation of the Fall Creek bridges would provide the opportunity to create a signature

look for these gateways to the village, possibly by harkening back to the look of the

original iron truss bridges that served the area. Another possibility is a round-about at the

intersection of 56th Street and Emerson Way. However, this does not conform to current

Department of Public Works guidelines for the installation of round-abouts and current

research on the compatibility of traffic circles with pedestrian retail districts is not

conclusive.


Land Use In this plan the topic of land use is treated as a grouping of four components:

environmentally sensitive areas, land use recommendations, critical areas and zoning

recommendations.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Environmental factors should be taken into consideration and have a modifying effect

on any development or redevelopment of a site with those conditions. This plan includes

an Environmentally Sensitive Areas map that depicts five environmental factors:

wetlands, floodplains, steep slopes, woodlands and wellfields. The Millersville study area

exhibits all five of these factors.

Wetlands. This factor is based on mapping provided by the Indiana Department of

Natural Resources.

Floodplains. These are areas where floodwater is likely to stand during a flood of such

intensity that it is likely to happen once in 100 years. Mapping is based on 2001 Federal

Emergency Management Agency flood panels.

Natural Woodlands. These are groupings of trees, naturally occurring or planted.

High Quality Woodlands. Older woodlands tend to have greater biodiversity than

younger ones, so these woodlands should particularly have a modifying effect on new

development. Based on 1999 data, the mapping of this factor depicts woodlands that

have been relatively undisturbed for over 50 years.

Steep slopes. Based on 2003 data, these are slopes with greater than one foot of rise in

elevation over 10 feet of horizontal distance. The Millersville area is distinctive in Marion

County for its steep, ravine-cut bluffs overlooking the Fall Creek valley.

Wellfields. Wellfields are part of the larger aquifers, porous underground water-bearing

strata, which lie under Marion County. Most of Indianapolis’s drinking water comes from

surface sources such as White River and Fall Creek. However while the supply of surface


water remains the same, the demand for water is increasing, so a growing proportion of

the County’s drinking water is being taken from the groundwater by wells.

Two wellfields overlap the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley study area. The Richardt

Wellfield extends from Fall Creek south to roughly 52nd Street and from approximately

Mark Lane eastwards out of the study area. The Fall Creek Wellfield covers the portion of

the study area roughly west of Sherman Drive and south of Lorraine Road.

A safe, efficient groundwater supply system requires monitoring, treatment and

prevention of contamination. To protect the underground drinking water supply, the

Wellfield Protection Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 1997. This ordinance created

Wellfield Protection Zoning Districts that are delineated by the time a drop of water takes

to travel from the ground’s surface through the ground to a well intake. The districts are

divided into W-1 (one year time of travel) and W-5 (five year time of travel) zones. The

ordinance provides for additional review of permits for businesses that wish to locate in

wellfields and that use products that may contaminate the groundwater. These

businesses are typically asked to make accommodations for the potential spills of

contaminants.



Land Use Recommendations

The map of recommended land uses is a guide for property owners, neighbors and

neighborhood associations, City staff, the Metropolitan Development Commission and

Boards of Zoning Appeals when considering proposed development projects.

The map recommends one of 15 land use categories for each parcel (see Appendix F for

descriptions of the land use categories). The land use categories broadly define

development by use and intensity, and should be considered the most appropriate use

for the land. They are the starting point for determining the appropriateness of land use

requests such as zoning and variance of use petitions.

The Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area is largely developed and the existing land uses

are generally stable. To bolster the area’s stability the Land Use recommendation for

most parcels in the study area is the same as its existing land use.

Village of Millersville

The retail area at 56th Street and Emerson Way is designated as “Village Mixed-Use” to

promote the evolution of this area into a pedestrian-oriented village.

Currently, much of the commercial development in Millersville is in the form of small to

medium-sized, stand-alone or multi-tenant buildings. Notable exceptions to this are the

Windridge Shops and Emerson Plaza. The Windridge Shops is an L-shaped shopping

center that faces Fall Creek Parkway across a large parking lot and retention pond. It

was originally anchored by a grocery store and has a mix of small and medium tenant

bays. Between the retail shops and Emerson Way is a five-story office building with

Marine Bank as its main tenant. Emerson Plaza was also originally anchored by a grocery

store. It faces Emerson Way at an angle. Its parking is primarily between the front of the

building and Emerson Way. Immediately behind the center is a short segment of

Millersville Road.

The land use category designated for Millersville is Village Mixed-Use. This category

recommends a mix of retail, office and residential uses built to a pedestrian scale. Village

mixed use areas are intended to be neighborhood gathering places and should allow a

wide range of small businesses, housing types, and public and semi-public facilities.


Potential development in these areas should focus on design issues related to

architecture, building size, parking, landscaping and lighting to promote a pedestrian-

oriented “village” or “small town” atmosphere. Typical strip commercial development,

large-scale freestanding retail uses and heavy industrial development are generally

inappropriate within this land use category.

Commercial development in the Millersville vicinity should be contained to the village

retail area and not allowed to encroach into the surrounding, established residential

areas or along Fall Creek Parkway, 56th Street, Emerson Way or Kessler Boulevard.

Critical Areas Critical Areas are locations that exhibit an unusual character, important location or

significant need that warrants more explanation and detail than the land use

recommendation on the map can provide. The Critical Area text explains why a

location is critical and how development in those areas should accommodate those

critical factors.

Critical Area 1

Location: 56th Street west of Binford Boulevard

Why Critical: The parcels at 3940 and 4055 East 56th Street are zoned and/or developed

in ways that are anomalous to their vicinity. It is critical that future development or

redevelopment of these sites is compatible with their surroundings.

3940 East 56th Street was developed in the early to mid 1970s with a nursing home and an

apartment building. The structures were the first phase of a larger residential and

commercial project that was never completed. The western portion of the 7.2 acres site

remains open for development. A 2010 rezoning to C2 allows for both office and multi-

family residential uses of up to ten units per acre. The case, 2010-ZON-052, set a building

height limitation of 35 feet, set a limit on the total square feet of gross leasable office

space at 36,000, set restrictions on signage and lighting and required a tree preservation

plan. These commitments were requested to protect the surrounding neighborhood

from the development of a large office center with one or more towers and expanses of

parking, while allowing for small-scale offices, day care, assisted living, and other

medical and adult care facilities.


4055 East 56th Street was developed in late 00s with mini-warehouses. Under Indianapolis

zoning, mini-warehouses are a heavy commercial or light industrial use. The surrounding

residential and institutional land uses make this site unsuitable as a retail commercial

node or industrial site. Should the mini-warehouses leave, this site is not appropriate for

another heavy commercial or light industrial use.

Neither site should be developed for retail uses because such development would

diminish the commercial vitality of nearby, established commercial nodes such as the

village of Millersville.

Recommendations:

• Small-scale office development is recommended for the northern site (3940 East 56th

Street), but should be kept low in height (less than 35 feet), limited in gross leasable

office space, well-buffered from surrounding residential uses and free from large

expanses of parking. Future development or redevelopment of this site for residential

purposes may be appropriate if kept under a density of ten units per acre, is kept low

in height (less than 35 feet), well-buffered from surrounding residential uses and free

from large expanses of parking. No development should take place within or to the

north of the drainage easement. This recommendation takes into account the

residential character of the locale, nearby Binford Boulevard and the densities of the

surrounding developments.

• Future redevelopment of the southern site (4055 E. 56th St.) for residential purposes

should be kept under a density of eight units per acre, low in height, well-buffered

from surrounding residential uses and free from large expanses of parking. This

recommendation takes into account the residential character of the locale, the

adjacency of Binford Boulevard and the densities of the surrounding developments.

• Existing trees should be preserved to the extent possible.

Critical Area 2

Location: 46th Street and Fall Creek Parkway

Why Critical: This plan recommends redevelopment of the area between Fall Creek

Parkway and Binford Boulevard on the south side of 46th Street from a single-family district

to a higher density single-family or multi-family neighborhood.



Recommendations:

• Conversion of the single-family residential parcels to multi-family development should

not be done in a piecemeal manner, but in groupings of contiguous parcels. The

purpose of this is so homes are not isolated among the multi-family structures.

• Existing trees should be preserved to the extent possible.

Critical Area 3

Location: Village of Millersville (vicinity of 56th Street and Emerson Way)

Why critical: The commercial uses in this area were not developed in a coordinated

manner and do not physically relate well to each other, or in some cases, to the high-

traffic streets in the area. Much of the commercial development is dated-looking and

show signs of disinvestment, although the market for goods and services in the area

appears to be good. Remnants of the historic town of Millersville still exist in this area.

Millersville is designated as “Village Mixed-Use” to promote the evolution of this area into

a pedestrian-oriented village

Recommendations:

• For development principles that describe the ideals and goals for redevelopment

in the Millersville area see pages 48-50.

• For land use recommendations for the village area see page 58.

• For development guidelines for the village area see pages 68 to 82.

Critical Area 4

Location: North of 56th Street, east of Brendon Forest Drive, south of Fall Creek

Why Critical: Brendon Forest Drive is a meandering, low traffic street. An approximately

21-acre site is located along most of the east side of the street. The remainder of the

street’s frontage is developed with single-family lots ranging in size from one-half to five

acres. The Critical Area is a transitional zone with Woollens Garden, a City-owned, State-

designated nature preserve to the north; Brendonwood, a historic, low-density

neighborhood to the west; a large apartment community to the east; and 56th Street, a

high-volume arterial street to the south. The I-465/56th Street interchange is nearby.

Development in this area should act as a buffer between the higher density residential to

the east and the lower density residential to the west. It is critical to provide an


appropriate transitional density for this area that is compatible with surrounding land

uses. High-quality woodlands and slopes greater than 10% found on the northern portion

of the parcel should be protected from overdevelopment.

Recommendations:

• Do not allow any retail development to occur on this parcel.

• The land use recommendation for this parcel is 1.75 – 3.5 units per acre.

Development of the parcel should allow for a higher density clustered residential

development at the south end of the parcel balanced by lower density residential

development at the north end in order to protect the steep slopes and woodland on

the northern end of the site. A total density of 1.75 to 3.5 units per acre, and

preferably 1.75 – 2.5 units per acre, should not be exceeded.

• A significant amount of high-quality and natural woodlands occurs on the northern

edge of the Critical Area. Conservation of the oldest and highest quality portions of

the woodlands is of particular importance. Development within this area should

provide substantial conservation of the tree canopy.

• Tree lines on the perimeter of the site should be conserved to the extent possible.

• A dense screen of trees and shrubs has been established on the multi-family

residential property to the east; this screen should be maintained as buffer between

the multi-family residential development and the single-family neighborhoods to the

west. Augmentation of the screen with evergreen trees and shrubs is recommended

to create a more all-season screening.

• Structures on this site should be compatible with the homes on the west side of

Brendon Forest Drive in height, size, building forms, and materials.

• Development of this site will likely require upgrading of infrastructure, which may

include drainage, sanitary sewers and streets. Development of this site should not

exacerbate any deficiencies in storm water and sanitary sewers that may exist along

Brendon Forest Drive, and ideally should provide an opportunity to improve storm

water and sanitary sewer service.

• Dense vegetative cover along stream banks is important for erosion control,

contaminant capture, water cooling (critical for retaining oxygen levels) and habitat

preservation.

• In places, steep slopes define the edges of a stream valley. These slopes should be

minimally developed, if at all, so that they may retain their forest cover and avoid soil

erosion.


• Development within proximity of Woollens Gardens should also be mindful of soil

erosion and possible contamination of Fall Creek’s water.



Zoning Indianapolis employs zoning as a method to provide for orderly development.

A recommended zoning map (page 85) has been developed for the village area

because specific zoning districts are being recommended as the optimal way to

implement the land use recommendations made above.

A zoning plan has not been developed for the area outside the village area. Here the

land use categories, as recommended above, can typically be implemented through

more than one zoning district.

Indianapolis, like most jurisdictions that practice zoning, uses a form of Euclidean zoning.

Named for Euclid, Ohio, the foundation of this form of zoning is the separation of

incompatible land uses. It is common for Euclidean zoning codes to also include

development standards for such items as setbacks, parking, building heights and dozens

of other aspects of site and building development. Euclidean zoning came of age in the

automobile era and so Euclidean codes are usually car-centric.

Another type of zoning, called form-based zoning, is based less on the separation of uses

and more on how buildings relate to their sites and the street. Form-based zoning and

hybrid Euclidean/form-based codes are being adopted in an increasing number of

jurisdictions.

The regulations and standards in form-based codes, presented in both diagrams and

words, are keyed to a regulating plan that designates the appropriate form and scale

(and therefore, character) of development. Not to be confused with design guidelines or

general statements of policy, form-based codes are regulatory, not advisory.

Form-based codes commonly include the following elements:

• Regulating Plan. A plan or map of the regulated area designating the locations

where different building form standards apply. The regulating plan is based on

clear community intentions regarding the physical character of the area. The

regulating plan may also include additional on-site development standards

• Public Space Standards. Specifications for the elements within the public realm

(e.g., sidewalks, travel lanes, on-street parking, street trees, street furniture, etc.).


• Building Form Standards. Regulations controlling the configuration, features, and

functions of buildings that define and shape the public realm.

As a recognizable village with a mix of uses, Millersville has great potential for the

successful application of form-based zoning. Most of the village is recommended for the

Neighborhood-Village or NV zoning district as the best way to implement form-based

zoning.

Visual preference survey

A visual preference survey was conducted at meetings in January and February 2011 to

help determine what design elements were most important to the users of the village

area. Participants were shown 41 slides of various design elements in a variety of

streetscapes. They were asked to rate the photos on a seven-point scale from negative

to neutral to positive.

The elements that were most strongly preferred were:

• Curbed streets with sidewalks

• Landscape beds with simple, curvilinear designs

• Moderate to narrow building set-backs

• An activity zone (e.g. benches, dining, gathering areas) between buildings and

street

The photos that were most negatively rated tended to show:

• Poor maintenance

• Uncurbed streets

• Extensive front parking lots


Examples of highly rated photos from the visual preference survey

Examples of photos that rated poorly in the visual preference survey

Street typologies and design elements

As a method to implement many of the development principles, design elements are

recommended for the village. These design elements can be used as guidelines for the

review of future zoning and variance petitions or can form a vision plan for the eventual

development of form-based zoning.

Although a small area, the streets in the village vary in how they look and function. The

streets were analyzed and then each one was classified into one of four typologies.

Suburban commercial street:

The Suburban commercial street type is intended to balance the need for a safe, active,

diverse and pedestrian-scaled area with the need for convenient automobile access.


A: Medium intensity

The Medium intensity suburban commercial street type is intended to be a commercial

hub for the surrounding neighborhoods. Ideally it is buffered from residential districts by

lower intensity street types, so that it may have more intense development without

having negative impact on single-family residential areas. 56th Street between Emerson

Way and Kessler Boulevard is classified as a Medium intensity suburban commercial

street, as is Emerson Way between Fall Creek Parkway and 56th Street.

B. Low intensity

The Low intensity suburban commercial street type is intended to ensure that new

development contributes positively to established residential neighborhoods and

character, and improves the transition between more intense commercial development

and adjacent residential neighborhoods. 56th Street between DeQuincy Street and

Emerson Way is classified as a Low intensity suburban commercial street as is Emerson

Way for approximately 400 feet north of 56th Street center line.

Traditional parkway:

The Traditional parkway street type is intended to be a curvilinear pleasure drive with a

continuous parkspace on one side. The other side of the parkway should complement

the parkspace. Fall Creek Parkway from DeQuincy Street to 56th Street is classified as a

Traditional parkway.

Village lane:

The Village lane street type is intended to preserve and enhance the character of the

historic town of Millersville’s last remaining street. It is intended to be low-speed, low-

traffic and pedestrian-oriented. The portion of Millersville Road north of Fall Creek is

classified as a Village lane.



Redevelopment along these street segments should be guided by the following

recommendations for the following design elements:

• Setbacks

• Streetscapes

• Pedestrian Connections

• Building orientation

• Building height

• Fenestration/transparency

• Roofline

• Parking

• Signage

• Lighting

Set-backs, minimum and maximum

The minimum and maximum set-backs control the placement of buildings in relationship

to the street. It contributes to the coherence of the urban fabric, creating greater whole

out of the individual buildings. It reinforces and defines the street, which creates a

neighborhood character.

Suburban Commercial Street:

A minimum setback is recommended based on current zoning requirements. For arterial

streets the required minimum setback is 10 feet from the right-of-way line or 70 feet from

the centerline, whichever is greater. Emerson Way is an arterial street. For non-arterial

streets the required minimum setback is 10 feet from the right-of-way line. 56th Street is a

non-arterial street. Its right-of-way varies in width from 65 feet to 90 feet through the

commercial area.

A maximum setback of 100 feet from the edge of street pavement is recommended.

This width is based on space for a tree lawn, sidewalk, landscape strip, one double-

loaded bay of parking, and a landscaping space/activity zone along the façade.

Traditional Parkway:

By current zoning requirements the minimum setback is 10 feet from the right-of-way line

or 70 feet from the centerline, whichever is greater. The typical setback along Fall Creek

Parkway west of the village is 100 to 125 feet. A set-back of 70 feet from centerline is


recommended, however parking (usually allowed in a front set-back) is not

recommended in the required front setback along the Traditional Parkway to allow room

for a wide landscaping area that complements the parkspace across the parkway.

No maximum setback is recommended.

Village Lane:

Millersville Road is roughly 17 feet wide within an approximately 38 feet wide right-of-way.

On the east side of Millersville Road a minimum setback is recommended based on the

current zoning requirements: 10 feet from the right-of-way line.

On the west side of Millersville Road, setbacks are recommended based on the existing

setbacks of the existing structures. Setback on currently vacant parcels should be similar

to the setbacks on adjacent parcels.

Streetscape

The streetscape is composed of all the elements within the street right-of-way and those

portions of developed parcels in front of the building façade. Street types differ in the

presence, importance and size of these elements.

The area along a street between the curb and the sidewalk is called by a number of

colloquial names. In this report it is referred to as the “tree lawn.” A tree lawn should be

provided wherever there is sufficient space for it. It provides a sense of safety by

physically separating pedestrians and vehicles.

Since 2008, Indianapolis zoning ordinances have required five-feet wide, concrete

sidewalks along the street frontage for parcels with new commercial development or

significant commercial redevelopment. Sidewalks should be kept clear of obstructions to

provide accessibility for those with disabilities.

The activity zone/façade landscaping space is the area between the interior edge of

the parking lot and the front facade of the building. It provides a zone for landscaping,

social activities or a combination landscaping and social space. On parcels without

front yard parking this zone occurs between the sidewalk and the building façade.

Outdoor dining areas, terraces, porches and seating areas are common examples of


social spaces appropriate in the activity zone. Landscaping should complement the

building without blocking visibility of doors and windows.

Suburban Commercial Street:

Medians

• Unpaved

• Landscaped in a simple, not fussy, manner (turf or mass plantings of a small

number of species of perennials)

• Overstory street trees where space allows

Tree lawn (the area between the curb and the sidewalk)

• Where provided, a minimum width of two feet

• Preferred width of six feet, which provides sufficient width to plant overstory trees.

• In addition to trees, this area provides space for utility poles, street lights, waste

receptacles, fire hydrants, traffic signs, newspaper vending boxes, bicycle racks,

public kiosks and similar elements as long as they do not obstruct pedestrian

access or motorist visibility.

Sidewalk

• Ten-feet wide sidewalks are recommended. This width provides for a more

comfortable pedestrian experience and allows for more sociable public space.

Landscape strip (the area between the sidewalk and the parking lot)

• Ten feet in width, measured from the right-of-way line

• One overstory tree for every 40 linear feet of street frontage.

• Understory trees may be substituted for overstory trees only where necessitated

by overhead utility lines. One understory tree for every 25 linear feet of street

frontage.

• Where there is a parking lot in front of the building façade, the parking lot shall be

screened to a height of 36” along the entire front edge of the parking lot. Where

space allows the screen should be serpentine.

• Thorny species should not be planted where pedestrians might brush against

them.


Activity zone/façade landscaping space

• An activity zone/façade landscaping space is strongly recommended.

Extending the activity zone into the parking lot by replacing a couple parking

spaces near the entry can enliven the streetscape.

Traditional Parkway:

Medians

• Not recommended


• A minimum width of ten feet, which provides sufficient width to plant overstory

trees and gives an extra buffer between the street traffic and pedestrians.




frontage.

MedianStreetTreeSidewalk

LandscapeLawnStrip

Parking SpaceDrive aisle

Parking SpaceBuilding

Building

Street TreeLawn

Sidewalk

MedianStreetTreeSidewalk

LandscapeLawnStrip

Parking Space

Drive aisle

Parking Space

Building

Building

Street TreeLawn

SidewalkActivity zone/Facade landscapingspace

10' 10' 6' 24' 12' 24' 6' 10'10' 64' 24'

Activity zone/Facade landscapingspace

Suburban Commercial Street: Conceptual Street Section






Sidewalk

• Six-feet wide sidewalks are recommended.


• Forty feet in width, measured from the back of sidewalk.




frontage.

• Where there is a parking lot in front of the building façade, the parking lot shall be

screened to a height of 36” along the entire front edge of the parking lot. A

serpentine screen is recommended.

• Thorny species should not be planted where pedestrians might brush against

them.


• An activity zone/façade landscaping space is recommended.


Village lane:

Medians

• None


• Where provided, a minimum width of two feet

• Preferred width of six feet, which provides sufficient width to plant overstory trees.





Sidewalk

• Five-feet wide sidewalks are recommended.


• No parking lot is recommended in front of the façade line.


• An activity zone/façade landscaping space is recommended.

StreetTreeSidewalk

LandscapeLawnStrip

Parking SpaceDrive aisle

Parking SpaceBuilding

Activity zone/Facade landscapingspace

StreetTree

Sid

ewal

k

LandscapeLawn

Strip

Parking Space

Drive aisle

Parking Space

Building

Greenway TrailFall Creek

40' 10'6' 26' Widths vary10' 64'

Greenway TrailFall Creek

Traditional Parkway: Conceptual Street Section


Pedestrian connections

All street types

Pedestrian connections include sidewalks along streets, crosswalks and on-site sidewalks

and marked pathways. For sidewalks along streets, see above.

Storefront and office entrances should be easily visible from the street and have an easily

identified pedestrian connection to the sidewalk paralleling the street. The pedestrian

connection should be at least five feet in width. Where a pedestrian connection crosses

a parking lot or drive lane the surface should be paved in a way that is distinct in

material, color or texture from the surrounding surface. Pedestrians should be protected

from overhanging parked vehicles through the use of medians or wheelstops.

Pedestrian connections between businesses on adjoining parcels are recommended.

Street

TreeSidewalk

Lawn

Building Building

TreeLawn


West East

StreetTreeSid

ewal

k

Lawn

Building

Building

TreeLawn


Varies based on historic setback 5' 6' 20' 6' 5' 20'

Building

Building

Village Lane: Conceptual Street Section


Crosswalks

• Marked crosswalks should be provided at intersections.

• Mid-block pedestrian crossings may also be appropriate in a limited number of

locations.

• Crosswalks should be of a material that is visually distinct from the pavement of

the street. Examples include pavers, brick and colored asphalt.

Building orientation

All street types

Building orientation is how buildings relate to the street and each other. Visual cues tell

how the different sides of the building are meant to be used. Facades which front on a

street are the public face of the building and should have a high level of finishes. This

indicates a respect for the users of the street as well as indicating that this is the entry into

the building. These finishes should wrap around the sides of a building if these sides are

visible from the street.

Loading docks, trash containers, trash enclosures and other building services are part of

a building’s private realm and should not be visible from a street. On sites such as corner

lots where every side of a building may be visible from a street these private functions

should not be on a façade that faces the street or within the front 15 feet of the sides of

a building that do not face the street.

In the triangular block between Millersville Road and Emerson Way many parcels have

frontage on both streets. A potential development pattern on this block would be

ground-floor offices or retailing facing Emerson Way with second- and third- floor

residential units facing Millersville Road.

Building height

Building height is important in its relationships: among buildings, between buildings and

the street, buildings and the surrounding topography, and buildings and humans. Height

relationships affect sense of place by how space may or may not be enclosed and

whether the enclosure feels welcoming, protective or overbearing. Height relationships

also affect views. Views to and from structures should be considered as well as how

views may be directed.


Current zoning requirements limit building height in the C1 district to 50 feet (4-5 stories), in

the C3 district to 35 feet (3 stories) and in the C4 district to 65 feet (5-6 stories). Current

zoning regulations do not set a minimum height.

Suburban Commercial Street, Medium intensity:

Building heights of one to three stories are recommended along these street faces.

Suburban Commercial Street, Low intensity

Because this is a transitional zone between residential area and more intense

commercial areas, the building heights should also be lower than in the more intense

commercial district: one to two stories.

Traditional parkway

Greater building heights are appropriate along the north side of Fall Creek Parkway due

to wider setbacks from the street and distance from residential areas. Building heights of

up to five stories are appropriate.

Village lane

Building heights on the east side of Millersville Road should be that of the Suburban

Commercial Street, Medium Intensity. Building heights on the west side should not

exceed that of the existing historic buildings (two stories/35 feet).

Fenestration

Fenestration is the number and size of openings (windows and doors) in a structure.

Fenestration creates rhythms and patterns on building facades that provide visual

interest and cues to the uses within the buildings. Expanses of blank walls tend to

deaden a space. Street level windows make a streetscape more pedestrian-friendly

and help activate the street. Lack of fenestration makes casual surveillance difficult,

which reduces safety and sociability.

Fenestration should be transparent to allow two-way viewing and should not use opaque

or mirrored glass. Opaque or mirrored glass does not fully provide the benefits of

transparent glass. The fenestration guidelines below refer to ground floors on street-

facing facades.



Transparency should be high. The closer to the street a building is, the higher the

transparency should be.


Retail uses should be very transparent; transparency for other uses could be reduced but

no less than 25% of the area of the ground floor façade. The closer to the street a

building is, the higher the transparency should be.

Traditional parkway

No guideline for fenestration.

Village lane

On the west, historic side of the street the amount of fenestration should be similar to the

amount of fenestration of the existing buildings.

On the east side of the street, retail uses should be very transparent; transparency for

other uses could be reduced but no less than 25% of the area of the ground floor

façade.

Rooflines

The type of roof on a building can be a visual cue to the building’s use. Consistent

rooflines can add cohesiveness to an area. Typically residential rooflines such as gable

and hip roofs can help blend commercial structures into residential areas.


No guideline for rooflines


The low intensity suburban commercial streets are transitions between more intensive

commercial zones and residential areas. To help make the transition, rooflines on

commercial structures should be reminiscent of the residential rooflines in the

neighborhood or of prototypical residential rooflines such as gable or hip roofs. Flat roofs

are not recommended.


Traditional parkway

No guideline for rooflines

Village lane

On the west, historic side of the street rooflines should be similar to the rooflines of the

existing buildings: front-gable, gambrel and hip.

On the east side of the street, which is transitional between the residential and

commercial districts, rooflines that are reminiscent of residential rooflines are preferred.

Parking: location, amount, sharing, and access

The amount and placement of parking has an effect on the area’s ease of use for

motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Parking should be designed to be visually compatible

with the surrounding development, convenient for users, and mitigate the negative

impact of vehicle noise, headlights, lighting and mechanical systems. Physically

integrated, mixed-use development can provide parking efficiencies so that the amount

of total parking can be reduced. Provision of bicycle parking can make this area more

convenient for neighbors and users of the Fall Creek Trail and further reduce the amount

of space that needs to be devoted to vehicle parking.


Maximum of one bay of parking in front of the front façade line. Shared access points

and integrated sites preferred. Parking lots over 20 spaces in size should have interior

landscaping of at least one tree per twelve parking spaces.

Bicycle parking provided.


Maximum of one bay of parking in front of the front façade line. Shared access points

and integrated sites preferred. Parking lots over 20 spaces in size should have interior

landscaping of at least one tree per twelve parking spaces.


Traditional parkway

Shared access points and integrated sites preferred. Parking lots over 20 spaces in size

should have interior landscaping of at least one tree per twelve parking spaces.



Village lane

No on-site parking in front of the front façade line. Shared access points and integrated

sites preferred. Parking lots over 20 spaces in size should have interior landscaping of at

least one tree per twelve parking spaces.


Signage

Building signs are important to help people easily locate destinations. However, an

excessive amount of signage can detract from this purpose.

In all street typologies, signs should be designed creatively and artistically. Signs should

be compatible with the architectural pattern, style and fenestration of the building.

Building facades should be designed to incorporate building and business signs. Signs on

buildings are preferred to pole signs. Strobes, motion and other attention-getting devices

should not be used. EVMS (Electronic Variable Message signs) should not be used. Signs

in shop windows should not obscure more than a small percent of the window area. All

buildings should have the street address number clearly visible.

Off-premise advertising signs (billboards) are not appropriate in the village district.

Lighting

In all street typologies, exterior lighting should be carefully designed and provided to

direct people to their destinations, highlight architectural and landscape features and

create a safe and secure environment; however exterior lighting on private properties

should not overflow into the night sky, or onto adjacent rights-of-way or properties.

Adding distinctive public street lighting fixtures to the four village streets offers the

opportunity to create a sense of place in Millersville.


Recommended Zoning Map

A recommended zoning map has been developed for the village area. The zoning plan

is intended to depict the most appropriate zoning district for each parcel based on its

recommended land use and the characteristics of the parcel and its surroundings.

Most of the village is recommended as Neighborhood-Village or NV. This zoning district is

used to implement form-based zoning. A more detailed description can be found in

Appendix G.

Typically implementation of a zoning plan is incremental over time as property owners

wish to develop or redevelop their properties. However the Metropolitan Development

Commission has the authority to rezone multiple parcels at one time. This is usually done

through a partnership with a community in an effort to implement a neighborhood or

corridor plan.

In the case of the NV zoning recommendation, it is not anticipated that this district would

be implemented on a parcel-by-parcel basis over a long period of time. This rezoning

would need to occur for multiple parcels at one time and include a regulating plan

detailing the components of the new district.

Until such time as the NV district is adopted, rezonings in the Village district should

promote the Village mixed-use recommendation of the land use plan and the street

typologies and design elements outlined in this plan.

Other zoning districts proposed for the village area are:

• C1 – Assisted living, auditoriums, community centers, day care, health services

(excluding hospitals), funeral homes, offices, radio and television studios, public

uses such as libraries and museums, adult education (excluding universities) and

subordinate accessory uses.

• D2 – Single family residential with a typical density of 1.9 units per gross acre

• D3 – Single family residential with a typical density of 2.6 units per gross acre

• PK1 – Park

• SU34- Fraternal organizations and public ballrooms


• DP – Planned unit development. Predominantly residential in nature, but may

include other land uses. These developments may set many of their own

standards, but they are tied to a site plan and are more closely reviewed by the

Metropolitan Development Commission. This plan recommends DP only for those

sites currently zoned DP that are outside the proposed NV district.



Priorities The Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Village and Corridor Plan public input process

concluded by prioritizing the plan’s recommendations. Participants were asked to

choose their 18 highest priorities out of 53.

Previously, each of the four work groups had completed their efforts by prioritizing the

recommendations they had made. The most highly rated recommendations from each

work group made up the 53 priorities offered for consideration at the final public

meeting.

The most highly rated recommendation by a wide margin is:

• Add sidewalks and bike lanes to the 56th Street bridge.

The other most highly-prioritized recommendations are:

• Attract businesses to Millersville that will fulfill the range of neighborhood-level

retail and office needs.

• Create corridors that are safe and inviting for pedestrians, and bicyclists and still

move traffic in an efficient manner.

• Establish a streetscape in Millersville that is attractive, practical and reinforces the

identity of the area.

• Extend the Fall Creek Greenway Trail upstream to connect with the paved trail

within Fort Harrison State Park.

• Continue cooperation between the City and volunteer organizations to remove

invasive, exotic vegetation and replant native vegetation along Fall Creek.

• Use infrastructure to create a sense of place (e.g. public art, sculptural bridge

railings, artistic street furniture or unique crosswalk markings).

• Conduct a traffic study of Emerson Way from Kessler Boulevard to Laurel Hall with

the goal of maintaining traffic volume but increasing pedestrian safety and

convenience.

• Connect sidewalks, bike lanes and trails to regional systems.

• Amend City zoning codes to require stream protection corridors. Such corridors

would feature woody vegetation and minimal development.


• Connect the sidewalks on the 46th Street, Emerson Way and 56th Street bridges to

the Fall Creek Greenway Trail.

• Continued action by the City to promptly address maintenance issues along the

Fall Creek Greenway Trail.

• Study Fall Creek Parkway between Emerson Way and 56th Street to create a more

park-like setting and re-route the trail to a less flood-prone location.

• Conduct a Traffic Study on 56th Street from Shadeland Avenue to Fall Creek to

look at traffic calming measures.

• Provide physical and visual connections among the Millersville businesses.

• Conduct a traffic study of 56th Street within Millersville with the goal of maintaining

traffic volume but increasing pedestrian safety and convenience.

• Add sidewalks and bike lanes to Emerson Way Bridge.

• Continue action by the City to remove or clear downed trees in Fall Creek.


Appendices A. Relationships to other Plans

B. Extended History

C. Neighborhood Traffic Calming

D. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design

E. Aging in Place

F. Land use Categories

G. Neighborhood Village Zoning District

Appendix A: Existing Plans

The Millersville at Fall Creek Valley area has been the beneficiary of many years of City

planning efforts. In addition to Indianapolis Insight: the Comprehensive Plan for Marion

County, Indiana the following planning documents have guided the goals and actions

recommended in this plan.

Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan

This Plan, adopted in 2009, documents the current status of Marion County’s park

systems. It develops a five-year blueprint for the creation and preservation of open

spaces, recreation facilities and parks. It also guides the formation of City policies, the

selection, implementation and coordination of City projects; and the development of

complementary and cooperative efforts by citizens and the City.

The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan indicates that the Millersville study area’s

needs for greenways and natural areas are served by Fall Creek Parkway, Woollens

Garden, Skiles Test Nature Park and Fort Harrison State Park. However the area is not

served for the types of active recreation provided by community and neighborhood

parks. The nearest neighborhood park to the study area is Gardner Park on 46th Street

west of Shadeland Avenue.

The Plan’s capital improvement projects list lists projects to be accomplished within five

years. Repaving of low areas on the greenway trail along Fall Creek is one of the projects

on the list.


Greenways Plan

A master plan for Indianapolis Greenways was first adopted in 1994. It was the

culmination of a three-year planning effort that included Indy Parks, the National Park

Service and the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development. The plan was

updated in 1999 and 2002. Another update is currently underway.

The current 2002 Indianapolis Greenways Plan describes the community’s vision for a

regional network of linear open space that connects neighborhoods and promotes

recreation, fitness, alternative transportation and conservation. The Indianapolis

Greenways Master Plan 2002 perpetuates the dream of park-lined rivers and streams

envisioned in the early part of the 20th century while answering the need for

reconnecting our communities together in the 21st century.

Among other purposes the Indianapolis Greenways Master Plan 2002 identified and

prioritized the development of greenway corridors and trails and identified key portions

of the Greenways System to be conserved or developed sensitively for passive

recreation. The Plan also encourages the protection of natural areas and the acquisition

of linear open space and greenways throughout the county.

This plan recommended extending the existing greenway trail northeast from the

intersection of Fall Creek Parkway and Kessler Boulevard into Fort Benjamin Harrison State

Park up to 79th Street. Extension of the trail southwest from the trailhead at the

intersection of Fall Creek Parkway, Binford Boulevard and Allisonville Road to the Monon

Rail-Trail was also proposed. The extension northeast was made as far as Woollens

Garden. The connection southwest to the Monon Rail-Trail was also completed.

Fall Creek Parkway, Woollens Garden, Skiles Test Park Master Plan

A Master Plan was developed for Fall Creek Parkway, Woollens Garden and Skiles Test

Nature Park in 1988. The Plan recommended improvements for all three of these Indy

Parks properties, which at that time were all undeveloped. Many of the improvements

recommended in the plan were constructed, most notably the paved trail, small parallel

parking areas and canoe launches along Fall Creek.

The plan called for opening views to the creek by selectively pruning the existing

vegetation. It also recommended maintaining the vegetation along the parkway in a


tiered manner with natural woody vegetation along the stream, maintained turf along

the street and an intermediate area between the wooded stream bank and the turf for

wildflower plantings.

The Woollens Garden portion of the master plan recommended installation of a canoe

launch, minor picnic facilities, a footbridge over Fall Creek and nature trails.

Lower Fall Creek Watershed Management Plan (2009)

This plan was prepared for the Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District and the

Lower Fall Creek Watershed Alliance by Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. The

purpose of the plan was to examine water quality issues in the watershed and identify

sustainable, local solutions.

The study area of the watershed plan was the portion of the Fall Creek watershed

downstream of the Geist dam. The Indian Creek, Mud Creek and Devon Creek

watersheds were included in the study because these streams enter Fall Creek

downstream of the Geist dam. The watershed drains 57,800 acres and spreads over four

counties. The entire study area for the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley Village and Corridor

Plan lies within the study area for the watershed plan.

The watershed plan was organized by type of pollutant: sediment, nutrients and

pathogens. The watershed plan also identified Critical Areas, which are locations or

activities that particularly contribute to, or are particularly sensitive to, the degradation of

water quality in Fall Creek.

Indianapolis Regional Transportation Improvement Program (IRTIP)

The current Indianapolis Regional Transportation Improvement Program (IRTIP) includes

transportation improvements proposed for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Area

for 2012 through 2015. The IRTIP is frequently amended to accommodate changing

needs and priorities. The basic objective of the IRTIP is to help local governments provide

the best attainable coordinated transportation system for citizens in this area.

In addition, the IRTIP provides a schedule by which to coordinate project implementation

among jurisdictions and agencies; a guide for implementation of other short- and long-


range transportation plans; an aid to financial programming and administration; and a

source of information for the public.

Multi-Modal Corridor and Public Space Guidelines

This document makes recommendations for the development of multi-modal facilities in

order to realize the vision of a balanced transportation system. A multi-modal

transportation system is defined as a network of facilities designed for joint use with

connections between two or more modes of transportation. The recommendations of

this document were developed with the intent of implementation over time, as new

streets are constructed, as existing streets are reconstructed, and as land is developed or

redeveloped. Within the study area, these guidelines could be implemented to allow for

a more efficient connection to other modes of transportation such as sidewalks, bus lines,

bike paths, and other forms of mass transit in the future.

Indianapolis Regional Pedestrian Plan

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (IMPO) Regional Pedestrian Plan is

a framework for the creation of a regional pedestrian network. The intention of this plan

is to create a balanced transportation system throughout the metropolitan area that

considers the needs of the pedestrian in a manner similar to the needs of the

automobile. The plan documents the demand for pedestrian connections based on

qualitative and quantitative analyses. Results from these analyses are recorded as

recommended pedestrian facilities, corridors, and districts.

The commercial area at 56th Street and Emerson Avenue is recommended as a

pedestrian district. Binford Boulevard is recommended for an off-street path. The other

major streets in the study area are recommended for collector sidewalks.

A pedestrian district is an area characterized by a density of mixed uses and clustered

pedestrian destinations within a five-minute walk, supporting central or multiple transit

nodes. These are areas that have, or are intended to have, high pedestrian activity and

where priority is given to make walking the transportation mode of choice for trips within

the area.


An off-street path is envisioned as a hard surface way, separated from the street, for

shared use by multiple alternative transportation users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and

other non-motorized users.

A collector sidewalk is a hard surface walkway, for exclusive pedestrian use, along the

side of a street, within the right-of-way. It forms the primary grid of pedestrian facilities

that provides access to destinations. In comparison to the local sidewalk following local

streets, a collector sidewalk follows primary and secondary streets, streets with transit,

and streets that complete the pedestrian network.

Indianapolis Bicycle Plan

The Indianapolis Bike Plan and User Map project was initiated in 1999 by the Indianapolis

Metropolitan Planning Organization. The intent of this plan is to develop a system of

routes, including signed routes, bicycle lanes, off-street trails, and other types of facilities

that connect residential areas with shopping, employment centers, and recreation. This

plan is currently under revision.

Official Thoroughfare Plan (2002)

The Thoroughfare Plan documents the interconnecting and hierarchical system of

roadways that provides continuity and connectivity across Marion County. Where

appropriate the plan recommends street widenings and new street segments.

Street Segment Existing

ROW width

Existing Pavement

Width

Proposed ROW width

Proposed Pavement

Width

Priority

Allisonville Road, Kessler Blvd to Fall Creek Pkwy

90 24 120 24-24 B 2007-2015

Arlington Avenue, 56th St to 46th St

100 24-24 120 24-24 none

Binford Blvd, 75th St to Allisonville Rd

170 24-24 170 36-36 none

Emerson Way, Kessler Blvd to 56th St

50 22 120 24-24 none

Emerson Way, 56th St to Ladywood Dr

80 48 120 24-24 none

Emerson Avenue, Ladywood Dr to 39th St

100 24-24 120 24-24 none

Fall Creek Road, Shadeland Av to Kessler Blvd

75 22 120 24-24 none


Fall Creek Parkway, 56th St to 46th St

100 36 100 48 none

Fall Creek Parkway, 46th St to Allisonville Rd

70 36 80 48 none

Kessler Boulevard, East Drive, Erie Ave to Binford Blvd

100 40 120 24-24 none

Kessler Boulevard, East Drive, Binford Blvd to Fall Creek Rd.

100 36 120 24-24 D 2021-2025

Kessler Boulevard, East Drive, Fall Creek Rd to 56th St

100 36 120 24-24 none

Shadeland Avenue, 56th St to Meadowview Dr

90 24-24 120 24-24 none

46th Street, Binford Blvd to Brown Rd

90 24-24 120 24-24 none

46th Street, Brown Rd to Ritter Av

90 24-24 120 24-24 none

56th Street, Kessler Blvd to I-465

100 24-24 120 24-24 none

I-465, 56th St to Pendleton Pk

200 36-36 300 36-36 none


Appendix B: Extended History

The town of Millersville was never formally laid-out, incorporated or platted.

The 1884 “History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana” by B. R. Sulgrove tells the

early story of Millersville. Seth Bacon and Peter Negley built a sawmill at what is now

Millersville in 1824. Unfortunately for them, the mill dam backed up water against an

upstream mill and damaged it. The owner of the upstream mill sued and ended up

owning Bacon and Negley’s mill as well as the eighty acres of land it sat on. This owner

sold the property to Noah Leverton in circa 1832. Leverton erected a gristmill near the

existing sawmill. This mill had a number of owners over the years including Jacob

Brubaker who built a distillery next to the grist mill. Sulgrove notes that the “place where

the village of Millersville now is was called Brubaker’s Mill before it gained its present

name.” Sulgrove dates the founding of Millersville to 1838.

The town’s heyday seems to have been the 1840s through 1860s. During this time the mill

and distillery were owned and operated by William Winpenny and Jacob Spahr. By 1884

Sulgrove writes that the village had “retrograded” to eighteen lots and a population of

86. At that time the village contained “fourteen dwelling houses, one blacksmith-shop, a

Masonic Hall building, two business houses, and one (water) flouring- and grist-mill.” The

post office, which had opened circa 1844, had closed by 1884. The town may have

been in decline in Sulgrove’s time, but he does describe at least one note of prosperity.

In 1882 the Millersville Free Library was opened to the public with “five hundred and fifty-

five volumes of the most judiciously selected books.”

Structures that remain from that time can be found at 5580 DeQuincy Street and along

the west side of Millersville Road. The Joseph Ringer-Johnson House on Dequincy Street

dates to circa 1855. The Millersville General Store at 5422 Millersville Road dates from

around 1870 and the Winpenny House at 5504 Millersville Road dates from circa 1865. In

between stands a Dutch Colonial Revival house at 5440 Millersville Road. It is more

recent, dating from circa 1910.

In 1909 a ravine-cut wooded parcel overlooking Fall Creek was offered to the City in a

letter from William Watson Woollen, local attorney, author and founder of the Nature

Study Club of Indiana. The letter enthusiastically described the site, “It is an ideal place.

No other such beautiful and desirable place can be found within the same distance


from the center of this city.” Although the parcel was well outside City limits, the City

accepted Woollen’s offer.

Woollen conveyed the 44-acre property and his nature study library under several

conditions, including:

The place is to be known and designated . . . as Woollens Garden of Birds and

Botany. It is to be maintained and used as a place for nature study.

The wildwood of it is to be maintained a near as can be in its present wild

state.

The wildlife upon it . . . is not to be interfered with or destroyed; it is to be a

home and refuge for wild creatures which are found there or which may

come to it.

At the time of the donation a barn with a crib, a gardener’s cottage and a seven-room

double log cabin had been built on the site by Woollen. It was Woollen’s hope that the

log cabin would be maintained as a type of pioneer museum. However, all the buildings

on the site are now gone.

In 1916 Laurel Hall, the country estate home of banker Stoughton Fletcher and his wife

May, was completed on a bluff overlooking Fall Creek. The 38,000 square-feet mansion

was designed by Herbert L. Bass, architect of the Holcomb estate and the Test Building

on Monument Circle. It had 40 rooms and was maintained by a staff of ten. A notable

feature of the home was a winding three-story staircase hand-carved from native walnut

trees from the estate. The home was the site of elaborate lawn parties, balls, and

equestrian events.

Laurel Hall sat on an estate of nearly 1500 acres that included most of the area between

46th and 56th streets west of Arlington Avenue and southeast of Fall Creek. The main

entrance to the estate was through an elaborate entry gate with curving brick walls

flanking it. The brick walls can still be seen from Millersville Road across from Mallard

Lake. Other features of the ground were a stone water tower and lookout, greenhouses,

stables, horse trails, and three equestrian tracks. A Grecian temple stood at the top of a

cascade. The temple and cascade still exist on the grounds of Cathedral High School


The sisters of Providence purchased Laurel Hall in 1925 and opened Ladywood School, a

residential girl’s school. In 1974 the structure was sold to Robert Welch who was

developing the adjacent Windridge Condominiums. Laurel Hall served as offices and

community center for Windridge until 1982. From 1984 to 2004 the structure was home to

the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Laurel Hall is now the

headquarters and education center for Phi Kappa Psi. It also serves as a venue for

private events.

Over a fifty-year span Fletcher’s estate was divided and developed into the Mallard

Lake, Devon Ridge, Ladywood, Ladywood Bluff, Laurel Hall, Windridge, Devon Hills, First

Devington, Arlington Ridge, Arlington Park, and Brendonridge residential communities as

well as Cathedral High School.

Developer Charles S. Lewis established Brendonwood Common in 1917, making it the

earliest housing development in the study area. Lewis retained nationally-known

landscape architect George Kessler to plan and design Brendonwood Common as a

place for fine country living. One hundred ten lots were laid out on 250 acres between

56th Street (then known as Military Road) and Fall Creek. Kessler’s design worked with the

contours of the ravine-cut stream bluff location and took advantage of the wooded

hillsides. An additional 100 acres were reserved as common space for roadways,

walking and bridle paths, a golf course and other park and recreation amenities. The

golf course was laid out in 1923 by landscape architect Laurence V. Sheridan, an

associate of both Kessler and Lewis and later a resident of Brendonwood Common.

The homes in Brendonwood Common were built over a 62-year period in a variety of

styles. The peak of home construction activity was 1950 to 1954 when 37 houses were

built. Lots were intended to be bordered by wide swaths of high shrubbery making most

of Brendonwood’s lots very private yet today.

The idea of a parkway along Fall Creek originated in the early days of park planning in

Indianapolis. The first plan for a park system was developed in the late 1890s by John C.

Olmstead. The plan was updated about ten years later by George Kessler. In his 1909

“Report of Landscape Architect to the Board of Park Commissioners,” Kessler called for a

system of parks and parkways that “should bring within the easy reach of every potion of

a community the pleasant enjoyment of open air spaces for rest and recreation, and


form pleasant and attractive means of communication from one part of the community

to another.”

Parkways along the White River and the city’s other major streams were a primary part of

Kessler’s plan. He described his concept of parkways to the commissioners as follows:

Parkways of this nature do not primarily form merely driveways from one

portion of the city to another, although their continuity for this purpose is

important, but, at variance with the popular idea of the boulevard, they do

from a chain of parks or a continuous park which is by its nature brought to

the doors of all sections of the community. By obtaining here and there open

spaces of considerable extent in addition to the space required for roadways

and walks, you will provide a continuous series of small parks and playgrounds

which will become very valuable and pleasurable to the neighborhoods in

their immediate vicinity. Where such parkways, as they will in your case,

follow the lines of picturesque streams, an additional interest in presented,

both in preserving the picturesque nature of the scenery and in the use of

streams for boating and bathing purposes.

Kessler’s report detailed each of the proposed parkways. He envisioned the Fall Creek

Parkway as “capable of most picturesque treatment, but is also to a large extent a

utilitarian feature. Here again it is contemplated to border each side with a driveway,

but the meanderings of the stream are such as to leave many park spaces of very

considerable extent, as well as the possibility of introducing here and there water

surfaces that are directly in the stream or to one side of it of sufficient area to add largely

to the attractiveness of the improvement.”

Kessler proposed acquiring land along Fall Creek from the White River upstream to 38th

Street and beyond as the city grew. By 1911 the City had acquired the entire north bank

of the creek from the canal upstream beyond the City limits at 38th Street. The city also

owned the south bank from Indiana Avenue downstream to the White River and from

Central Avenue downstream to 23rd Street. The City’s holding along Fall Creek at that

time totaled 143.3 acres.


Open spaces, curvilinear roadways defined the character of the parkway. Trees were

planted to line the roadway and trees and shrubs were extensively used along the

parkway to define open spaces, frame views and lead the eye along the route.

The donation of Woollens Garden was an impetus to extend the parkway another six

miles. Federal work relief programs of the 1930s built the extension of the drive.

A 1928 update of Kessler’s plans by Lawrence Sheridan proposed the extension of Fall

Creek Parkway to the northeast county limit.

In the early part of the 20th century the area around Millersville was known for its diary

farms, including the Hornaday Milk Company and Roberts Dairy.

The north end of the Millersville commercial district is anchored by the Millersville Masonic

Lodge. The lodge was founded in Millersville in 1852. The lodge built and moved into its

current facility in the mid-1920s.

The Rolling Ridge subdivision, located off Allisonville Road, is the only pre-World War II

subdivision other than Brendonwood Common in the study area. The post-War period

however was a time of explosive growth within the study area. With a few notable

exceptions, by the mid1960s most of the available land in the study area had been

developed. The 1970s and 80s saw the development of the Windridge condominium

community and the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s was the time of development for the area

between Fall Creek Parkway and Fall Creek Road.

Little, if any, commercial development took place in the area until after Emerson Way

was built in 1962. The new Emerson Way bridge supplanted the Millersville Road bridge

and opened the area to easier travel from the south. Soon new commercial buildings

fronting on Emerson Way began to replace the old homes that had lined the east side of

Millersville Road. By 1972 the wedge-shaped area between Millersville Road and Emerson

Way had been completely redeveloped, the intersection of 56th Street and Emerson Way

had new commercial structures on all four corners and commercial development was

progressing east along 56th Street. In the next few years the area saw further

transformation as Fall Creek Parkway was re-routed and the Windridge Shoppes rose in

the area east of Emerson Way and south of 56th Street.


Skiles Test Nature Park, located immediately outside the northeast corner of the study

area, sits on the bluff of Fall Creek facing Woollens Garden to the south. The park was a

bequest of successful Indianapolis businessperson Skiles Test. He left his northside estate to

the City in 1964 to be used for the benefit of Indianapolis’s young people. The City took

possession of the 81-acre site in 1974.

Skiles Test Nature Park, Woollens Garden and the Fall Creek Parkway formed a

continuous swath of undeveloped parkland that in 1988 was the subject of a park master

plan. The Plan recommended improvements for all three of the Indy Parks properties.

Many of the improvements recommended in the plan were constructed, most notably

the paved trail from Binford Boulevard/Allisonville Road to 56th Street, a trailhead at

Binford Boulevard/Allisonville Road, two canoe launches and small parallel parking areas

along Fall Creek.

The plan called for opening views to the creek by selectively pruning the existing

vegetation. It also recommended maintaining the vegetation along the parkway in a

tiered manner with natural woody vegetation along the stream, maintained turf along

the street and an intermediate area between the wooded stream bank and the turf for

wildflower plantings.

The Woollens Garden portion of the master plan recommended installation of a canoe

launch, minor picnic facilities, a footbridge over the creek, and nature trails. The park

was dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1987 as an excellent example of an old,

second-growth mesic upland forest community dominated by red oak, sugar maple,

white oak, shagbark hickory and ash. This designation did not change the ownership of

the property but it did bring an agreement to manage the site according to a state-

authored Master Plan.

A master plan for Indianapolis Greenways was first adopted in 1994. The plan was

updated in 1999 and 2002. The Indianapolis Greenways Master Plan 2002 perpetuates

the dream of park-lined rivers and streams envisioned by Kessler in the early part of the

20th century. This plan recommended extending the existing greenway trail northeast

from the intersection of Fall Creek Parkway and Kessler Boulevard into Fort Benjamin

Harrison State Park and up to 79th Street. Extension of the trail southwest from the

trailhead at the intersection of Fall Creek Parkway, Binford Boulevard and Allisonville

Road to the Monon Rail-Trail was also proposed. In 2007 the extension northeast was


made as far as Woollens Garden. The connection southwest to the Monon Rail-Trail was

also completed.

The Greenways Master Plan is currently under revision. Completion of the plan is

anticipated in April 2011.

Although outside the study area, Fort Harrison State Park is a destination for many users of

the Fall Creek Greenway Trail. The state park was part of the conversion of a 25,000-acre

active military base into a mix of public and private land uses. The State of Indiana was

given 1,700 acres to form the park in 1995.

The Fall Creek Parkway and Woollens Garden were entered in the National Register of

Historic Places on March 26, 2003 by the United States Department of Interior. They were

part of a larger entry that encompassed the historic Indianapolis park and boulevard

system.

The nomination of the Fall Creek Parkway and Woollens Garden list the following features

as contributing to the historic character of the sites:

• The parkway drives, one on either side of the creek

• Parkway green space (site, design, materials)

• The spatial organization of the parkway

• Keystone Avenue Dam

• 56th Street bridge (1934, WPA built)

• Woollens Garden (natural conservation area)


Appendix C: Neighborhood Traffic Calming Measures

“Traffic calming” usually refers to physical changes to streets in order to create safer

roads and a better quality of neighborhood life. Traffic calming is intended to:

• improve driver behavior, concentration, and awareness,

• reduce speed

• reduce cut-through traffic in neighborhoods, and

• improve safety for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles

• enhance quality of life and improve aesthetics.

When responding to a request for traffic calming in a neighborhood, the Indianapolis

Department of Public Works will conduct a study to determine the scope of the problems

and consider alternative solutions. DPW must also be satisfied that there is strong

neighborhood support. (Requests for traffic calming on arterial streets follow a different

process.)

The City’s Traffic Engineering staff will collect and analyze data and compare it with

established criteria to determine if the location is eligible for consideration. Findings and

conclusions will be documented in a formal report.

The Department of Public Work has a toolbox of traffic calming measures (see chart).

Depending on the following factors DPW will choose the appropriate tool.

• Citizen Support

• Street Classification

• Traffic Volume

• Traffic Speeds

• Street Geometric Data

• Accident History

• Input from Public Safety Agencies

• Cost and Funding

DPW will work with the community to determine the preferred traffic calming measure. A

neighborhood meeting will be required to review the results of the study. Traffic calming

measures will be implemented only if the neighborhood can show that 75% of those

affected are in support.


Traffic Calming Measures

Horizontal Deflection

Curb extension / bulb-out

Areas of expanded curbing that extend across a parking lane and may narrow a travel lane.

Chicane Series of 3 bulb-outs, staggered at mid-block locations on alternating sides of the street.

Gateway Entrance treatment, typically using physical and textural changes, that provides identity to an area.

On-street parking Provision of on street parking that reduces roadway width.

Raised median island / pedestrian refuge

Narrow islands, at mid-block or intersections, between travel lanes with breaks in landscaping and curbing for pedestrians.

Traffic circle Raised island in the center of an intersection that requires vehicles to travel counterclockwise around the circle

Vertical Deflection

Textured crosswalk Use of pavers or other materials to demarcate crosswalks and alert motorists that they are entering a pedestrian-friendly area

Speed hump Raised humps in the roadway, typically 3 inches high with a 12 or 22-foot travel length.

Raised crosswalk Marked pedestrian crossings elevated 3 to 6 inches above street grade at intersections or mid-block.

Raised intersection Intersections, including crosswalks, raised 3 to 6 inches above street grade.

Physical Obstruction

Semi-diverter Directional closure created by physically blocking half the street.

Diagonal diverter Physical barrier placed diagonally across a four-way intersection to create two unconnected intersections.

Semi-diverter Directional closure created by physically blocking half the street.

Diagonal diverter Physical barrier placed diagonally across a four-way intersection to create two unconnected intersections.

Right-in / right-out island

The use of raised islands to prevent left turns and through movements, to and from side streets, at intersections with major streets

Raised median through intersection

Raised median through intersection median barrier through an intersection that discourages through traffic in a residential area by restricting movements

Raised median through intersection

Median barrier through an intersection that discourages through traffic in a residential area by restricting movements

Street closure The use of a cul-de-sac to close a roadway by extending a physical barrier across the entire width, obstructing all traffic movements


Appendix D: Crime Prevention through Environmental Design

Excerpts from “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design”

By Robert A. Gardner, 1981

The goal of CPTED is the reduction of opportunities for crime to occur. This reduction is

achieved by employing physical design features that discourage crime, while at the

same time encouraging legitimate use of the environment. CPTED offers protection

without resorting to the prison camp approach to security.

To understand fully how CPTED is used, one must examine its components and the

philosophy behind them.

Defensible Space

To provide maximum control, an environment is first divided into smaller, clearly defined

areas or zones. These zones become the focal points for the application of the various

CPTED elements. "Defensible space" is the term used to describe an area that has been

made a "zone of defense" by the design characteristics that create it.

Under the defensible space guidelines, all areas are designated as either public, semi-

private or private. This designation defines the acceptable use of each zone and

determines who has a right to occupy it under certain circumstances.

• Public Zones. These areas are generally open to anyone and are the least secure

of the three zones.

• Semi-private Zones. These areas create a buffer between public and private

zones and/or serve as common use spaces, such as interior courtyards. They are

accessible to the public, but are set off from the public zone. This separation is

accomplished with design features that establish definite transitional boundaries

between the zones.

• Private Zones. These are areas of restricted entry. Access is controlled and limited

to specific individuals or groups. A private residence is a good example of a

private zone.

Division between zones is generally accomplished with some type of barrier. These can

be either physical or symbolic.


Physical barriers, as the name implies, are substantial in nature and physically prevent

movement. Fencing and locked doors are examples of physical barriers.

Symbolic barriers are less tangible. Nearly anything could serve as a symbolic barrier. The

only requirement is that it defines the boundary between zones. This type of barrier does

not prevent physical movement. All that is required is that it leaves no doubt that a

transition between zones has taken place. Low decorative fences, flower beds, changes

in sidewalk patterns or materials, and signs are examples of symbolic barriers.

Territoriality

Territoriality involves an individual's perception of, and relationship with, the environment.

A strong sense of territoriality encourages an individual to take control of his or her

environment and defend it against attack.

A sense of territoriality is fostered by architecture that allows easy identification of certain

areas as the exclusive domain of a particular individual or group. This feeling is enhanced

when the area involved is one the individual can relate to with a sense of pride and

ownership.

The term ownership when used in this context does not necessarily mean actual legal

ownership. It can be, and very often is, a perceived ownership resulting from an

individual's relationship with the environment.

Surveillance

Surveillance is the principal weapon in the protection of a defensible space. Criminals

are least likely to act when there is a high risk of their actions being witnessed.

Environments in which legitimate occupants can exercise a high degree of visual control

increase the likelihood of criminal acts being observed and reported.

Informal Surveillance. Opportunities for informal or natural surveillance occur as a direct

result of architectural design. Designs that minimize visual obstacles and eliminate places

of concealment offer the most protection against crime. These open designs also

encourage use of the environment, as people feel safer when they can easily see and

be seen.


The use of defensible space in conjunction with natural surveillance is a potent crime

prevention tool. The establishment of transition zones gives both the occupant and the

intruder clear and definite points of reference. For the occupant, an intruder's entrance

into restricted space creates cause for attention and possible alarm. For the intruder,

entering restricted space spotlights his actions, elevates his anxiety level, and greatly

increases his risk of being discovered and apprehended.

Lighting

Good lighting is one of the most effective crime deterrents. When used properly, light

discourages criminal activity, enhances natural surveillance, and reduces fear.

The type and quantity of light required will vary from application to application, but the

goal remains the same in all cases. To the degree possible, a constant level of light

providing reasonably good visibility should be maintained at night. The absolute level of

light, provided it meets minimum standards, is less critical than the evenness of the light.

Bright spots and shadows should be avoided. Highly vulnerable areas and those that

could conceal a potential attacker should be illuminated more brightly than areas

designed for normal activity. The object is to light up the criminal without spotlighting the

victim.

As used in CPTED, lighting also plays a part in creating a feeling of territoriality. A bright,

cheerful environment is much more pleasing than one that appears dark and lifeless. The

ability to feel good about one's environment is important in developing a sense of pride

and ownership.

Landscaping

Landscaping design, like architectural design, plays a significant role in CPTED.

Landscaping is versatile and can be used to perform a variety of design functions.

As a symbolic barrier, landscaping can mark the transition between zones. Features such

as decorative fencing, flower beds, ground cover, and varied patterns in cement work

can clearly show separation between zones. If more substantial barriers are needed,

shrubbery such as evergreen hedges can be used to create more formidable obstacles.


From a surveillance standpoint, landscaping can be critical. Such factors as growth

characteristics of plants and their placement in relation to potentially vulnerable areas

are extremely important.

Visual corridors must be maintained in open, park-like areas as well as in densely planted

areas. As a rule, visual surveillance corridors can be maintained by limiting shrubbery to a

maximum height of three feet and trees to a minimum height of six feet at the lowest

branches. This approach ensures that visibility between three and six feet from the

ground will always be relatively unimpaired.

Another function of landscaping in crime prevention is aesthetics. Again, an attractive

environment generates a sense of pride and ownership.

Physical Security

Enlightened physical security planning can contribute considerably to the overall success

of a project. The proper application of security hardware and the elimination of security

weaknesses from a structural standpoint can have a significant impact on future crime

problems.

As an element of CPTED, physical security planning is not intended to create an

impenetrable fortress. The goal is merely to make penetration more difficult and time-

consuming. Degree of difficulty and length of delay are key factors in reducing the

probability that crime will occur.

The emphasis of CPTED is not just on the tools, however. It is how the tools are used that

makes the difference. Normally, a building is built and then secured. With CPTED, it is

secured, then built. More importantly, not just the building is secured but also the space

around it. The security program is integrated into the environment, not just added on.


Appendix E: Aging in Place

The “Aging in Place” concept is about helping senior citizens to live in the residence of

their choice while being able to have services available when they need them. The

main goal is to keep seniors in their homes and take care of their needs.

Many times this happens in areas called a NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement

Community). These are neighborhoods or buildings in which there is a large population

of senior citizens. These areas are not usually set up as communities and tend to form on

their own. Aging in place and NORC provide similar services to senior citizens.

Many Hoosiers are beginning to approach retirement. They are trying to find ways to

plan their retirement and still live at home. People may not realize but there are many

services in Indianapolis for aging in place. There are many services dedicated to not

only keeping seniors in their homes, but to helping them with everyday issues.

The following organizations offer similar but different opportunities for ageing in place.

Their goal is to help senior citizens stay in their homes and to assist them in any way

possible.

• Agingavenues.com- helps senior citizens find services in Indianapolis. They

provide a whole list of services for aging in place seniors in Indiana.

• Timeless Homes- provides a list of home projects provided by Timeless Homes

Independent Lifestyle Support Services. They will assist senior citizens with

household tasks from changing a light bulb, to installing handrails. They will also

assist with landscaping. Visit www.timelesshomesindy.com/aginginplace.php.

• Agingindiana.org-their goal is to provide senior citizens, with an outreach

program within their communities. This began in 2006, when the AdvantAge

Initiative was brought to Indiana. It was funded by the US Administration on

Aging (AoA) and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of

Aging.

• In.gov/fssa/2329.htm- this gives a list of services and programs that benefit senior

citizens.

• jfgi.org/section.aspx?id=284- the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis helps

seniors age in place. Their main goal is to help establish more elder-friendly

communities.


• NAIPC (National Aging in Place Council) is a senior citizen support network. They

provide experts in healthcare, financial services, home design and remodeling,

and many more.


Appendix F: Land Use Categories

Land use categories broadly define development by use and intensity, and should be

considered the most appropriate use for the land. They are the starting point for

determining the appropriateness of land use requests such as zoning and variance of use

petitions.

Residential Development greater than 0.00 and equal to or less than 1.75 units per acre.

Color: Vanilla

Index Number: 1

This density is consistent with rural development patterns and could also limit the impact

of development on property with extreme topography or other significant environmental

considerations such as floodplains, wetlands and old-growth woodlands. Additionally,

this density would be conducive to agricultural and estate development.


Color: Light Yellow

Index Number: 2

This density is consistent with single-family residential development in transitional areas

between rural and suburban development patterns and is the typical density for single-

family residential development in suburban areas of the City. Development at this

density should not take place in rural and suburban areas where surrounding

development patterns exhibit characteristics suitable for higher densities (property on

mass transit corridors, near concentrations of employment, or near major commercial

centers, for example).


Color: Bright Yellow

Index Number: 3

This density is consistent with single-family residential development in suburban areas of

the City and in transitional areas between suburban and urban patterns of development.

Development at this density should not take place on mass transit corridors. Multi-family

residential development is acceptable, but is unlikely considering the density ranges

recommended.



Color: Orange

Index Number: 4

In suburban and rural areas this is a common multi-family density and typically the

highest density single-family category in suburban areas. In urban areas, it is common for

both single-family and multi-family development. Development at this density is

appropriate along bus corridors but should not take place in proximity to planned light

rail transit stops.


Color: Light Brown

Index Number: 5

This density is typically the highest density serviceable in suburban areas. In suburban

areas it would typically be a multi-family (apartment or condominium) category. In

urban areas, this is the highest density single-family residential category and a common

multi-family category. Development at this density is appropriate for all types of mass

transit corridors.

Residential Development greater than 15.00 units per acre.

Color: Dark Brown

Index Number: 6

This density is appropriate only within relatively intense urban areas where there is a full

range of urban services and where those services have the capacity to accommodate

the development. It may be appropriate in rare circumstances in suburban areas as

assisted-living housing and as a buffer between major retail commercial uses and lower

density residential uses. Development at this density is appropriate for all types of mass

transit corridors.

Village Mixed-Use

Color: Peach

Index Number: 8

This land use category consists of a development focused on a mixed-use core of small,

neighborhood office/retail nodes, public and semi public uses, open space and light

industrial development. Residential development densities vary from compact single-

family residential development and small-scale multi-family residential development near


the “Main Street” or “Village Center” and progress to lower densities outward from this

core. Village mixed use areas are intended to strengthen existing, historically rural, small

towns and cities within Indianapolis, which are intended to continue as neighborhood

gathering places and should allow a wide range of small businesses, housing types, and

public and semi-public facilities. This category should be compatible in size and scale to

existing villages in Marion County. It will allow development of residential and limited

commercial uses on smaller lots than in other sections of rural and suburban Indianapolis.

Potential development in these areas should focus on design issues related to

architecture, building size, parking, landscaping and lighting to promote a pedestrian-

oriented “village” or “small town” atmosphere, rather than focusing on residential

density. Strip commercial development (integrated centers setback from rights-of-way

by parking areas), large-scale freestanding retail uses and heavy industrial development

are generally inappropriate within this land use category. The Plan anticipates that this

category will typically be designated as a critical area.

Office Commercial Uses

Color: Pink

Index Number: 13

This land use category is for low-intensity office uses, integrated office development and

compatible office-type uses. Retail uses are not promoted in this category, unless those

uses are significantly subordinate to the primary office use or the retail use exclusively

serves an abundance of office uses in proximity to the retail use. Office Commercial Uses

can exist either as buffers between higher intensity land uses and lower intensity land uses

or as major employment centers. The following uses are representative of this land use

category: medical and dental facilities, education services, insurance, real estate,

financial institutions, design firms, legal services, day care centers, mortuaries, and

communications studios.

Community Commercial Uses

Color: Red

Index Number: 14

This land use category is for low-intensity retail commercial and office uses, which serve a

predominantly residential market adjacent to, or very near, the location of the use. The

uses in this land use category are designed to fulfill a broad range of retail, personal,

professional and business services and are either freestanding or part of a small


integrated center typically anchored by a grocery store. These centers contain no, or

extremely limited, outdoor display of merchandise. Generally, these uses are consistent

with the following characteristics:

Maximum Gross Floor Area: 125,000 square feet

Maximum Acreage: 25 acres

Service Area Radius: 2 miles

Location: On an arterial or at the intersection of an arterial with a collector.

Maximum Outlots: 3

Regional Commercial Uses

Color: Rust

Index Number: 16

This land use category is for general commercial and office type uses, which serve a

market that encompasses several residential neighborhoods or communities. The uses in

this land use category tend to benefit greatly from major business grouping and regional-

sized shopping centers; therefore, this land use category may consist of a collection of

relatively large freestanding commercial uses and integrated centers. These uses are

generally characterized by indoor operations, but may have accessory outdoor

operations limited to approximately 5 to 10 percent of a use’s gross floor area.

Generally, these uses are consistent with the following characteristics:

Maximum Gross Floor Area: 1,000,000 square feet

Service Area Radius: 15 miles

Location: On a primary arterial near the intersection with a

secondary or primary arterial.

Maximum Outlots: As needed.

Heavy Commercial Uses

Color: Dark Red

Index Number: 15

This land use category is for general commercial and related office type uses. The uses in

this land use category tend to exhibit characteristics that are not compatible with less

intensive land uses and are predominantly devoted to exterior operations, sales and

display of goods; such as automobile sales and heavy equipment sales.


Location: On a primary arterial

Park

Color: Green

Index Number: 10

This land use category consists of public or private property designated for active and/or

passive recreational amenities. It also includes publicly and privately held conservation

and preservation areas.

Linear Park

Color: Green

Index Number: 11

This land use category consists of public or private property designated for active and/or

passive recreational amenities and is primarily used for the passage of people or wildlife.

Typical examples are greenways and parkways.

Special Use

Color: Grey

Index Number: 12

This land use category consists of a variety public, semi-public and private land uses that

either serve a specific public purpose (such as schools, churches, libraries, neighborhood

centers and public safety facilities) or are unique uses exhibiting significant impacts on

adjacent property (such as the Indianapolis International Airport, Indiana State Fair, and

Indianapolis Motor Speedway).

Floodway

Color: Blue

This land use classification consists of areas within the floodway. These areas exhibit a

great potential for property loss and damage or for water quality degradation and

should not be developed. Nonconforming uses currently within a floodway should not

be expanded.


Appendix G: Proposed Neighborhood Village (NV) District

This zoning district is one method of implementing the Village Mixed-Use

recommendation of the Comprehensive Plan. It is intended to:

• Preserve and restore existing, traditional and pedestrian scale buildings in

established neighborhood commercial districts;

• Create new commercial nodes that are pedestrian-oriented and provide uses that

primarily serve adjacent neighborhoods;

• Promote a balance of retail, service, office, dining and residential uses that serve

the adjacent neighborhoods;

• Alleviate development pressure on existing neighborhoods by placing reasonable

controls on development and expansion of strip commercial areas within

neighborhoods, particularly larger scale auto-oriented retail, service, office and

dining uses that are intended to serve larger areas of the city;

• Facilitate safe, attractive and convenient pedestrian circulation and minimize

conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles;

• Encourage pedestrian flow through the design of mixed-use buildings with ground

floor level retail uses that open directly onto sidewalks adjacent to public streets;

• Establish building facade lines and sidewalk requirements, and reserve the space

between buildings and the street for pedestrian functions;

• Promote a nodal form of neighborhood commercial development that is of such a

size that all uses within the district are within a convenient walking distance of one

another and economically sustainable.

Although the NV district is more about the “how” of development rather than the

“what,” it is still helpful to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate land uses in

the village.


Appropriate uses Inappropriate uses

Uses that generate pedestrian traffic

Uses that generate mostly vehicular traffic

Uses that are pedestrian-scaled Uses that require a lot of space compared to the amount of pedestrian traffic they create

Uses that primarily serve the adjacent neighborhoods

Uses that require a lot of parking

Uses that minimize conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles

Uses that create conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles

A mix of retail, service, office, dining and residential uses

Uses that require a lot of outdoor storage or display

Proposed list of appropriate uses within a Millersville NV district:

• Retail Sales

• Office, studio, clinic, and similar uses

• Cultural center, museum, art galleries, libraries, and similar cultural facilities

• Education institutions (pre-K to 12th grade) (appropriate on the traditional

parkway street typology, appropriate on other street typologies if limited in size)

• Education institutions (after 12th grade)

• Religious Uses

• Residential, multifamily

• Group Home for developmentally disabled

• Supportive housing, family care homes, congregate care homes, and assisted

living (but limited in size)

• Lodging, hotel, bed & breakfast

• Automobile fueling & convenience (but limited in number)

• Automobile repair /service (but limited in size)

• Bar, Tavern or Nightclub (but limited in size)

• Bakery (Artisan, not industrial wholesale bakery)

• Commercial recreation or amusement establishments, such as theaters and

other places of assembly and similar uses with primary activities conducted within

fully enclosed buildings

• Day care center


• Furniture, Home improvement, Appliance store (sales/rental/repair) (but limited in

size and amount of outdoor storage and display)

• Grocery store

• Laundry and dry cleaning collection station

• Liquor sales

• Microbrewery (Artisan distillery)

• Personal Service establishment

• Restaurant, coffee shop, delicatessen, and other eating establishments

• Tailoring, custom dressmaking, millinery and similar establishment.

• Veterinary, Animal care/boarding/hospital

• Bus stop

• Mobile vendor

• Parking garage (but with active ground-floor uses such as retailing)

Proposed list of inappropriate uses within a Millersville NV district:

• Nursing home

• Community gardens

• Residential, detached single-family or two-family

• Automobile sales/rental/leasing, new/used

• Automobile washing

• Boat and RV sales/rental/leasing, new/used

• Drive-in, drive-thru or drive-up service window (inappropriate if wider than one

lane at the point it crosses a pedestrian way)

• Adult entertainment

• Outdoor commercial recreation or amusement establishment (appropriate only

in the traditional parkway street typology)

• Funeral home

• Laundry plant, dry cleaning plant

• Parking lot (commercial, surface)

• Power/gas substation

• Radio/TV/satellite/telecommunications tower

• Safety services (police, ambulance, fire)

• Self-service storage


These lists of uses should be further reviewed and modified to suit the specific needs of

Millersville at the time a regulating plan is developed.


Appendix H: Participants

Rick Alexander, Windridge Condominiums Owners Association

Eric Altherr, Brendon Forest

Debbie Anderson, Brookdale Place at Fall Creek Senior Living

Sharon Arnold, Devington Community Development Corporation

William Arnold, Brendonshire Civic Association

Brenda Barker, Brendonwood Common

Julie Barnes Smith, Kessler Commons

Carl and Barbara Barnett

John Bartlett, Indiana House of Representatives

David and Carolene Bash

Jennifer Beesley

Kathy Bennett, Devon Neighborhood Association

Lois Bennett, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Matt and Mollie Benson, Lake Kesslerwood East

Robert and Julie Benson, Mallard Lake Community Association

Doug Beyers, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Tom Bonsett, Brendonshire Civic Association

Jean Breaux, Indiana Senate

Greg Brelage, Brelage Insurance Company

Ray Brinkmeyer, BRAG

Joe and Dianna Broecker, Lake Kesslerwood

Doris Cantrell

Breck Carden, Carden Commercial LLC

Joe Carey, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Louis and Emily Chenette, Lake Kesslerwood

Debra Cooper, National Council of Negro Women, Lawrence Section

Mary Martha Costello, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Robert Craig, Brendonshire Civic Association

Jerry and Marilyn Dapper, Creekview Estates

Lois Daugherty, Kessler View Neighborhood Association

Pamela Davis

Terry Dearing, Boardwalk Homeowners Association

Catharine Diehr, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Bill Dowden, Kessler Commons

Tom and Judy Eggers, Windridge Condominium Owners Association


Doug Euers, Millersville Masonic Lodge

Dan Evard, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

James Farrell, Fatima Retreat House

Jennifer Faucett, Evergreen Florist

Lew and Iwana Fields, Devon Neighborhood Association

Joan FitzGibbon, Brendonwood Common

Terry Fleck, Lake Kesslerwood

Millie Fleming-Moran, Kessler Commons

Tony Ford, Community Hospital North

Deborah Freije, Brendon Forest

Zorina Galis, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Keith and Diane Gardner, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Lee and Krisma Garrett, Garrett’s Smokehouse BBQ

Jane Gehlhausen

Tracy Gillen, Friends of Skiles Test

Mike Glenn, Brendonridge Homeowners Association

Johnny Goldfinger, Mallard Lake Community Association

Charlie Goodman

William and Natalie Gordon

Reggie Greene

Hannelore Greven, Roxbury Arms

Susan Haber, Brendonwood Common

Melinda Hall, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Paula Hall, Brendonwood Common

Mark and Susan Handy

Deb Harlamert

Judie Hawley Conley

Pat Hellman, Rolling Ridge Neighborhood Association

Stan Hirsch, Law Office

Rosemary Huffman

David Hunter, Brendon Park Civic Association

Bill Hurrle, KELA

Evie Infanger

Larry & Pat Jaggers

Camille James, Brendon Park Neighborhood Association

Carla James, Brendon Park Neighborhood Association

Carlyn Johnson, Brendonwood Common


Keith Johnson, City of Lawrence

Dr. Don Kalt, Noah’s Animal Hospital

Bill Kennedy, Marine Bank

Alicia F. King

Kirby Kinghorn, Muesing Management

Bruce Knox, Garden Walk

Joe Komenda, BRAG

Denny Krauser, Fall Creek Manor Block Club

Barbara Lee, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Edie Leet, Devonshire II & IV Residential Association

Roy Levin, Brendon Forest

Ellen Love-Pendleton, Devon Country Club

Jiansen Lu, Happy Garden

Merlyn and Hane Malola, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Dennis Mannina, Brendonridge Homeowners Association

Rusty Marlen, Fall Creek Valley

Wil Marquez, w/Purpose

Marilyn and Jack Mart, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Melissa Mau, Lake Kesslerwood

Katrina May, Eden’s Pathway

Mary Ann McCormick, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Sean McGinley, Brendon Forest

Robert and Louise Malachowski, Brendon Forest

Sheila McKinley, Christopher B Burke Engineering

Sandra McLin, Garden Walk Town-homes Homeowners Association

Jim McLinn, Cathedral High School

Marta Meeker, Mallard Lake Community Association

Jon Miller, Ladywood Estates

James Naff, Devon Neighborhood Association

Jane and Pat Nash, Lake Charlevoix

Steve and Dawn Neal, Lake Kesslerwood

John and Mary Jane Norman, Law Office

Alan Norris, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

John Nurnberger, Indiana University

Berton O’Bryan, Brendon Forest

Christine Pitzer, Creekview Estates


Kevin and Cathy Potter, Brendonwood Common

Kostas Poulakidas, Rolling Ridge Neighborhood Association

Harini Rajagopalan, Lake Charlevoix

Betty and J. Parke Randall, Devon Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Eric Rasmussen, Regions Bank

Alicia Reuter, Brendonridge Homeowners Association

Cassie Rice

Larry Riggle, Avalon Hills Civic Association

Kim Robertson, Brendonwood Common

Joe and Gina Rogers, Mallard Lake Community Association

Shirley Rohnke, Mallard Lake Community Association

Theresa Rohr-Kirchuraber

Gary Rosenberg, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Eric and Sally Rowland, Brendonwood Common

Sallie Rowland, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board

Barb Sahm, Lake Kesslerwood

Terence Sauer, Brendonshire Civic Association

Christine Scales, City-County Council

Scott and Catherine Schoenherr, Brendon Forest

Marge Scott, Kessler View Neighborhood Association

Les Sebring, United Surety Agents, Inc.

Lara SerVaas, Kessler View Neighborhood Association

Doug Shannon

Fr. Paul Shikany, St. Matthew Catholic Church

Jay Simmons, Windridge Office Building

Pat Soper, Roxbury Arms

Phyllis Starks, Kessler Commons

Justin Sterling

George Stevens, Stevens Property Group

Michael Stevens, Stevens Property Group

Rosemary Tanner, Brendonwood Common

Crystal Thomas, Noah’s Animal Hospital

Dr. Mike Thomas, Noah’s Animal Hospital

Nancy Thompson, Brendon Forest

Tom Ulsas, Windridge Condominium Owners Association

Kim VanArsdale, Marine Bank

Julie and Solomon Webb


Tess White, White and Champagne

Molly Wilkens, Brendonwood Common

Al and Hanna Will

Daryl Williams-Dotson

Hannah Woodard, Brookdale Place at Fall Creek Senior Living

Cindy Woods, Boardwalk Homeowners Association

Joyce Woodson, Mini Blessings Childcare

George Wright, Lake Charlevoix

Stephen Yoder

John Zubak, Millersville @ Fall Creek Valley Board


Mayor’s Neighborhood Liaison

Noelle Malatestinic

Department of Metropolitan Development

Division of Planning

Keith Holdsworth, Principal Planner

Gina Bush Hayes, Planner

Larry Calloway, Principal Planner

David Hittle, Senior Planner

Melanie Mullens, Senior Planner

Tammara Tracy, Principal Planner

Jeff York, Senior Planner

Department of Metropolitan Development

Metropolitan Planning Organization

Tom Beck, Principal Planner

Stephanie Belch, Principal Planner

Steve Cunningham, Principal Planner

Jeremy Moore, Senior Planner

Anna M. Tyszkiewicz, Principal Planner

Department of Parks and Recreation

Don Colvin, Deputy Director

Ron Banks, Senior Greenways Manager

Andre Denman, Principal Planner

Al Ensley, Greenways Manager

Ben Jackson, Senior Planner

Christina Jones, Senior Planner

Don Miller, Land Stewardship Supervisor

Jeff Ward, Environmental Education and Land

Stewardship Administrator

Department of Public Works

Andy Lutz, Senior Project Manager

Andrew Mertz, Urban Forester

John Oakley, Assistant Administrator

Nathan Sheets, Assistant Administrator

Department of Code Enforcement

Katie Bannon

Johnny Guest, Administrator for Property Safety

and Maintenance

Marion County Health Department/

Bureau of Environmental Health

Anthony Burke

Laura Morgan

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